Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततस्तु तेजःसंयुक्तां त्वां ज्ञात्वा वयमेव हि । अग्रे धृत्वा करिष्यामो युद्धं तेन दुरात्मना

Transliteration

tatastu tejaḥsaṃyuktāṃ tvāṃ jñātvā vayameva hi | agre dhṛtvā kariṣyāmo yuddhaṃ tena durātmanā

Translation

ครั้นแล้ว เมื่อเรารู้ว่าเจ้าประกอบพร้อมด้วยเดชที่สั่งสมแล้วนั้น เราเองจักวางเจ้าไว้เบื้องหน้า แล้วทำศึกกับผู้อธรรมจิตผู้นั้น

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (sequential adverb)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle)

• तेजःसंयुक्ताम्: endowed with power
• तेजःसंयुक्ताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस्-संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; तेजस् + संयुक्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘त्वाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having known/recognised’

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle)

• अग्रे: in front / ahead
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial locative)

• धृत्वा: having placed
• धृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having placed/holding’

• करिष्यामः: we will do / we will make
• करिष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• तेन: with him
• तेन: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुरात्मना: with the wicked one
• दुरात्मना: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सहार्थे (with)

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vindhyācala (implied)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods, seeing the Goddess now suffused with accumulated tejas, resolve to place her at the front of the army and commence war against the wicked foe.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyanī (Devī)
• Mahiṣa (implied)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power gained through tapas is meant to be applied in protection of dharma, with the Divine leading the righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vindhya remains the implied sacred setting as the source-place of the Goddess’s augmented tejas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual here; it describes the consequence of tapas—empowered leadership in the dharmic battle.