Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

नान्यः शक्तः सुरश्रेष्ठ मुनिमेनं कथंचन । निषेधयितुमीशान ततः कुरु जगद्धितम्

Transliteration

nānyaḥ śaktaḥ suraśreṣṭha munimenaṃ kathaṃcana | niṣedhayitumīśāna tataḥ kuru jagaddhitam

Translation

Никто иной не в силах каким бы то ни было образом удержать этого мудреца, о лучший из богов. Потому, о Ишана, действуй ради блага мира.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śaktaḥ: able, capable
• śaktaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (कृदन्त; √śak शक्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• suraśreṣṭha: O best of gods
• suraśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां श्रेष्ठः)

• munim: the sage
• munim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• enam: this (him)
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam/enad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अन्वयेन 'munim' इति कर्मणि पुनरुक्त-निर्देश

• kathaṃcana: in any way, at all
• kathaṃcana: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/निषेध-बलवर्धक (in any way/at all)

• niṣedhayitum: to restrain, to forbid
• niṣedhayitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√sidh (सिध्) (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक; उपसर्ग: नि-; अर्थ: निषेधं कर्तुम्

• īśāna: O Lord (Īśāna)
• īśāna: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन

• tataḥ: therefore
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अतः (therefore)

• kuru: do
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• jagaddhitam: the welfare of the world
• jagaddhitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat + hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः हितम्)

Speaker

Devagaṇāḥ (the gods) addressing Īśāna/Vṛṣabhavāhana (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage/assembly (typical Nāgara-khaṇḍa interlocutors)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of devas, anxious, petition Īśāna to intervene because a powerful sage cannot be restrained by anyone else; the mood is urgent and cosmic.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna (Śiva)
• suraśreṣṭha (best of gods)
• muni
• jagad-hita (world welfare)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme authority is invoked not for spectacle, but for jagad-hita—restoring harmony when power overflows its bounds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the verse emphasizes Śiva’s guardianship rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological appeal highlighting Śiva as the only effective restrainer.