Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नागमाता च सुरसा मदर्थं भवता जिता । छायाग्रहां महाक्रूराम वधीद्राक्षसीं भवान्

Transliteration

nāgamātā ca surasā madarthaṃ bhavatā jitā | chāyāgrahāṃ mahākrūrāma vadhīdrākṣasīṃ bhavān

Translation

Demi diriku engkau menewaskan Surasā, ibu para nāga; dan engkau membunuh rākṣasī yang amat kejam, si perampas bayang-bayang.

Word by Word

• नागमाता: mother of the Nāgas
• नागमाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('mother of the nāgas'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुरसा: Surasā
• सुरसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य (appositive to nāgamātā)

• मदर्थम्: for my sake
• मदर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('my purpose'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जिता: conquered/overcome
• जिता: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• छायाग्रहाम्: the shadow-grabber (demoness)
• छायाग्रहाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('shadow-seizer'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाक्रूराम्: very cruel
• महाक्रूराम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('very cruel'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying छायाग्रहाम्)

• वधीत्: slew/killed
• वधीत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Imperfective past), मध्यम/उत्तम?—अत्र: तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; रूपम्: वधीत् (he slew)

• राक्षसीम्: demoness
• राक्षसीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific 'you')

Speaker

Śrī Rāma (addressing Hanūmān)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu oceanic passage (mythic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic interlocutor(s) (unspecified here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hanumān confronts Surasā, expands and contracts to enter and exit her mouth, then later attacks the shadow-seizing rākṣasī (Siṃhikā), tearing her apart over the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• Hanūmān
• Surasā
• Chāyāgrahā (shadow-seizing rākṣasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

On a dharmic mission, obstacles—whether tests or threats—are overcome through courage, discernment, and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu/Rāmeśvaram ocean-route is the narrative backdrop; the tīrtha’s greatness is reinforced by recalling the sacred journey to Laṅkā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears here; it is a laudatory recollection of protective, dharma-aligned action.