Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

वृत्रोऽपि बुभुजे कृत्स्नं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । शाक्रं पदं समास्थाय निहताशेषकंटकम्

Transliteration

vṛtro'pi bubhuje kṛtsnaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram | śākraṃ padaṃ samāsthāya nihatāśeṣakaṃṭakam

Translation

വൃത്രനും ശാക്രപദം ഏറ്റെടുത്തു, ശേഷിച്ച എല്ലാ വിരോധരൂപ കണ്ഠകങ്ങളും നീക്കി, ചരാചരങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ സമസ്ത ത്രിലോക്യവും ഭോഗിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• वृत्रः: Vṛtra
• वृत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ) — 'also/even'

• बुभुजे: enjoyed, possessed
• बुभुजे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'enjoyed/possessed'

• कृत्स्नम्: entire
• कृत्स्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (त्रैलोक्यम्) — 'entire'

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः — 'the three worlds'

• स-चर-अचरम्: with all moving and unmoving (beings)
• स-चर-अचरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थ 'with') + चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (चर + अचर) सह-पूर्वकः; विशेषण (त्रैलोक्यम्) — 'with moving and unmoving beings'

• शाक्रम्: Indra’s
• शाक्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (पदम्) — 'of Śakra/Indra'

• पदम्: position, realm
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• समास्थाय: having assumed/occupied
• समास्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आस्-स्था (धातु; √स्था with सम्+आ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्) अव्ययभावे; समास्थाय = सम्-आ-स्था + ल्यप् — 'having occupied/assumed'

• निहत-अशेष-कण्टकम्: with all obstacles removed
• निहत-अशेष-कण्टकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहत (कृदन्त; √हन् with नि-) + अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (पदम्) — 'in which all thorns/obstacles are destroyed'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛtra seated upon Indra’s jeweled throne, the three worlds depicted as a vast mandala under his dominion; subdued devas absent, opposition ‘thorns’ removed.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛtra
• Indra (Śakra)
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dominion over the worlds can be transient; power gained by force still remains within the moral economy of karma and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this shloka; it serves the broader Māhātmya storyline rather than naming a site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of political-cosmic takeover.