Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दशानां देवयोनीनां मनुष्याणां विशेषतः । तिर्यञ्चानां च नागानां पक्षिणां सुरसत्तम

Transliteration

daśānāṃ devayonīnāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ viśeṣataḥ | tiryañcānāṃ ca nāgānāṃ pakṣiṇāṃ surasattama

Translation

ในหมู่กำเนิดทิพย์ทั้งสิบจำพวก และโดยเฉพาะในหมู่มนุษย์—ทั้งในหมู่สัตว์เดรัจฉาน ในหมู่นาค และในหมู่นกทั้งหลาย โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐยิ่งในหมู่สุระ—

Word by Word

• दशानाम्: of ten
• दशानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम्; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्

• देवयोनीनाम्: of divine wombs/species
• देवयोनीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां योनिः)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha/Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/विशेषवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: especially)

• तिर्यञ्चानाम्: of animals (non-human creatures)
• तिर्यञ्चानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• नागानाम्: of nāgas/serpents
• नागानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पक्षिणाम्: of birds
• पक्षिणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सुरसत्तम: O best of the gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां सत्तमः)

Speaker

Mahiṣa (context continues)

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣa
• Śiva (surasattama as address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic narratives often frame boons against a vast cosmology, reminding that all embodied states—divine or earthly—remain within the order of karma and limitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly named in this half-verse; it functions as setup within the chapter’s tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it is part of a spoken enumeration of beings.