Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ह्रस्वदन्त्यो विदंत्यश्च दीर्घदन्त्यो विभीषणाः । गजदंत्यस्तथैवान्या लोहदंत्योभयावहाः

Transliteration

hrasvadantyo vidaṃtyaśca dīrghadantyo vibhīṣaṇāḥ | gajadaṃtyastathaivānyā lohadaṃtyobhayāvahāḥ

Translation

ചിലർക്കു ചെറുദന്തങ്ങൾ; ചിലർ ദന്തഹീനർ; മറ്റുചിലർക്കു ദീർഘദന്തങ്ങൾ—ഭയാനകങ്ങൾ. ചിലർക്കു ഗജദന്തംപോലുള്ള ദന്തങ്ങൾ; ചിലർക്കു ലോഹദന്തങ്ങൾ—ഭീതിജനകങ്ങൾ.

Word by Word

• ह्रस्वदन्त्यः: short-toothed
• ह्रस्वदन्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दन्तिन्/दन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—ह्रस्वाः दन्ताः यस्याः (short-toothed)

• विदन्त्यः: (variously) toothed
• विदन्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + दन्तिन्/दन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (having prominent/varied teeth; lexically uncertain)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• दीर्घदन्त्यः: long-toothed
• दीर्घदन्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + दन्तिन्/दन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—दीर्घाः दन्ताः यस्याः (long-toothed)

• विभीषणाः: terrifying
• विभीषणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• गजदन्त्यः: elephant-tusked
• गजदन्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + दन्तिन्/दन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—गजस्य दन्ता इव दन्ताः यस्याः / गजदन्तयुक्ताः (elephant-tusked)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: 'indeed/just')

• अन्याः: others
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• लोहदन्त्यः: iron-toothed
• लोहदन्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + दन्तिन्/दन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—लोहस्य दन्ताः यस्याः (iron-toothed)

• उभयावहाः: bringing both (kinds of results); doubly dangerous
• उभयावहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभय (प्रातिपदिक) + आवह (प्रातिपदिक; from ā-√वह्, 'bringing')
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—उभयं आवहन्ति इति (bringing both; causing both [good and evil]/double danger)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, unsettling portraits of beings with varied dentition: toothless mouths, needle-long teeth, elephantine tusks, and metallic iron teeth—set against a dim sacred landscape to emphasize dread and liminality.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fearsome imagery functions as a moral-spiritual pressure: the devotee is to cultivate fearlessness rooted in dharma while traversing sacred spaces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 88); the specific tīrtha is not named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is present in this verse.