Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

शक्रोच्छेदाय चास्माभिः शकोऽन्यो वीर्यमंत्रतः । प्रारब्धः कर्तुमत्युग्रैर्होमांतश्च व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

śakrocchedāya cāsmābhiḥ śako'nyo vīryamaṃtrataḥ | prārabdhaḥ kartumatyugrairhomāṃtaśca vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) നശിപ്പിക്കാനായി ഞങ്ങൾ മന്ത്രവീര്യത്താൽ മറ്റൊരു ‘ശക്ര’നെ സൃഷ്ടിക്കാൻ ആരംഭിച്ചു; അത്യന്തം ഉഗ്രസങ്കൽപ്പത്തോടെ ഹോമാന്തം വരെ നടത്താൻ ഒരുക്കമായി നിന്നു.

Word by Word

• शक्रोच्छेदाय: for the destruction of Śakra
• शक्रोच्छेदाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (dative of purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शकः: a Śaka (person/king)
• शकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (शकः)

• वीर्यमन्त्रतः: by means of a powerful mantra
• वीर्यमन्त्रतः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'by/through the power-mantra'

• प्रारब्धः: was begun, was undertaken
• प्रारब्धः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), अव्यय

• अति-उग्रैः: by very fierce (ones)
• अति-उग्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (अस्माभिः) / साधनवाचक; 'अत्युग्र' = अत्यन्त-उग्र

• होमान्तः: the end of the oblation/rite
• होमान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• व्यवस्थितः: was arranged/was set in place
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग

Speaker

Sages (Munis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dakṣa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing homa with sages chanting; from the fire, a formidable, radiant figure symbolizing an ‘alternate Indra’ begins to manifest, while the atmosphere is charged and ominous.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Munis (Sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-power is effective but morally weighty; when driven by anger or rivalry it can become adharma and threaten cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it forms part of the narrative embedded in the Tīrthamāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references a homa performed with vīrya-mantras and carried toward homānta (the concluding stage), indicating a formal sacrificial procedure.