Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

अथ शक्रस्तदादाय नैमिषाभिमुखो ययौ । भयेन महता युक्तो वेपमानो निशागमे

Transliteration

atha śakrastadādāya naimiṣābhimukho yayau | bhayena mahatā yukto vepamāno niśāgame

Translation

Então Śakra o tomou e partiu em direção a Naimiṣa; tomado por grande temor, tremia quando a noite se aproximava.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (प्रकरणसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; आरम्भ/अनन्तरवाचक (then, now)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that (thunderbolt)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• नैमिष-अभिमुखः: facing toward Naimiṣa
• नैमिष-अभिमुखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् शक्रः इति; ‘नैमिषं प्रति अभिमुखः’

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• भयेन: with fear; out of fear
• भयेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् भयेन इति

• युक्तः: endowed; possessed
• युक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘युक्तः’ = endowed/connected

• वेपमानः: trembling
• वेपमानः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् शक्रः इति

• निशा-आगमे: at the coming of night
• निशा-आगमे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); कालाधिकरणम् (time-locative)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator, implied continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Śakra) grips the blazing vajra and travels toward Naimiṣa as dusk deepens; his face shows apprehension, body slightly trembling, clouds gathering, forest silhouettes ahead.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya)
• Vajra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mighty experience fear, yet dharma is fulfilled by proceeding on the righteous path despite trembling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya) is explicitly mentioned as the destination, a famed sacred forest associated with yajña and Purāṇic recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse provides sacred-geographic context by naming Naimiṣa.