Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79
Devanagari script
अन्धकाय स वृत्तांतं कथयामास कृत्स्नशः । नैताः स्त्रियो दनुश्रेष्ठ युद्धार्थं समुपस्थिताः
Transliteration
andhakāya sa vṛttāṃtaṃ kathayāmāsa kṛtsnaśaḥ | naitāḥ striyo danuśreṣṭha yuddhārthaṃ samupasthitāḥ
Translation
แล้วท่านได้เล่าเหตุการณ์ทั้งหมดแก่อันธกะโดยพิสดารว่า “โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐแห่งวงศ์ทนุ นางเหล่านี้มิใช่สตรีสามัญที่ออกมาสู้ศึก”
Word by Word
अन्धकायto Andhaka
अन्धकाय:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन — dative: “to Andhaka”
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — “he” (Narada)
वृत्तान्तम्the account/news
वृत्तान्तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — object
कथयामासtold
कथयामास:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकथय् (धातु, णिच्)
Formलिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — “told/related”
कृत्स्नशःcompletely
कृत्स्नशः:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (अव्ययीभाव-प्रत्ययवत् अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb) — “entirely, in full”
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात (negation particle)
एताःthese
एताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — “these (women)”
स्त्रियःwomen
स्त्रियः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (एताः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन)
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
दनुश्रेष्ठO best of Danus
दनुश्रेष्ठ:
Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootदनु (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — “श्रेष्ठः दनूनाम्” (O best of Danus/Daityas)
युद्धार्थम्for battle
युद्धार्थम्:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रयुक्तः — “for the sake of battle” (purpose accusative)
समुपस्थिताःhave come/present
समुपस्थिताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (स्त्रियः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootसम् + उप + स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → समुपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः — “present/arrived”
Speaker
Unspecified narrator (context: a messenger/adviser addressing Andhaka)
Characters & Entities
A
AndhakaD
Danu (lineage reference)FAQs
It cautions against mistaking divine śakti for ordinary worldly power; dharma requires discernment before conflict.
This verse functions within the Tīrthamāhātmya frame but does not name a specific tīrtha in this line; it sets up the sacred narrative context.
No ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a narrative warning and identification.