Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अन्यः शक्रः प्रकर्तव्यो मंत्रवीर्यसमुद्भवः । आथर्वणैर्महासूक्तैराभिचारिकसंभवैः

Transliteration

anyaḥ śakraḥ prakartavyo maṃtravīryasamudbhavaḥ | ātharvaṇairmahāsūktairābhicārikasaṃbhavaiḥ

Translation

‘മന്ത്രവീര്യത്തിൽ നിന്നു ജനിക്കുന്ന മറ്റൊരു ഇന്ദ്രനെ സൃഷ്ടിക്കണം—ആഥർവണ മഹാസൂക്തങ്ങളാൽ, അഭിചാരിക ക്രിയകളിൽ നിന്നു ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചവയാൽ.’

Word by Word

• anyaḥ: another
• anyaḥ: Karta (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (śakraḥ)

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prakartavyaḥ: should be made/appointed
• prakartavyaḥ: Vidhi (predicate adjective of śakraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विध्यर्थक कृदन्त: ‘to be made/should be appointed’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mantravīryasamudbhavaḥ: born from the potency of mantras
• mantravīryasamudbhavaḥ: Karta (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + vīrya (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (sam-ud-bhū (धातु) + घञ्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: मन्त्र-वीर्य-समुद्भव (तत्पुरुष: ‘arising from the power of mantras’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (śakraḥ)

• ātharvaṇaiḥ: with Atharvanic
• ātharvaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātharvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (mahāsūktaiḥ)

• mahāsūktaiḥ: with great hymns
• mahāsūktaiḥ: Karaṇa (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + sūkta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: महा-सूक्त (कर्मधारय: ‘great hymns’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ābhicārikasaṃbhavaiḥ: produced from (ritual) sorcery/abhichāra
• ābhicārikasaṃbhavaiḥ: Karaṇa (instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ābhicārika (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (sam-bhū (धातु) + घञ्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: आभिचारिक-संभव (तत्पुरुष: ‘arising from abhichāra/witchcraft rites’); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (mahāsūktaiḥ)

Speaker

Vālakhilya Munis (collective resolve within the mantra-rite)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages declare the intent to fashion ‘another Indra’ through mantra-virya, employing Atharvanic great hymns with coercive (ābhicārika) force; the ritual fire seems to flare as if birthing a new cosmic authority.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Atharvanic hymns (Ātharvaṇa)
• Mahāsūktas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma teaches accountability: even divine offices can be reassigned when their holder violates righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not applicable in this verse; it focuses on mantra-śakti and the office of Indra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of Ātharvaṇa mahāsūktas in a forceful mantra-prayoga (ābhicārika-type rite) to effect a cosmic change.