Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

जघान पादघातेन दक्षिणेनेतरेण तम् । अब्रवीन्मम वध्यस्त्वं यन्मच्छत्रुं जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

jaghāna pādaghātena dakṣiṇenetareṇa tam | abravīnmama vadhyastvaṃ yanmacchatruṃ janārdanam

Translation

त्याने त्याला उजव्या आणि डाव्या पायाने लाथा मारल्या आणि म्हणाला, 'तू माझ्या शत्रूची, जनार्दनाची पूजा करतोस, म्हणून तू माझ्याकडून मारला जाण्यास योग्य आहेस.'

Word by Word

• जघान: struck; smote
• जघान: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• पादघातेन: with a kick; by foot-strike
• पादघातेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Determinative; पादेन घातः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणेन: with the right (foot)
• दक्षिणेन: Visheshana (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इतरेण: with the other
• इतरेण: Visheshana (Qualifier; paired with dakṣiṇena)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वध्यः: to be killed; killable
• वध्यः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्तार्थ: वध्-योग्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Addressee as subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: since; because
• यत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (relative particle), हेत्वर्थे/यतः-अर्थे (introducing reason: since/because)

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitival sense: my), अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (as compound member)

• शत्रुम्: enemy
• शत्रुम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object; apposition to śatrum)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णोर्नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vṛka (contextual, addressing Sāṃkṛti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A violent assailant kicks a calm worshipper; the victim remains composed, suggesting unseen sacred protection; tension between brute force and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛka
• Sāṃkṛti
• Janārdana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hatred toward another’s chosen deity is condemned implicitly; violence born of sectarian pride leads to immediate ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it does not specify the tīrtha’s name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records an act of aggression and a hostile declaration.