Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

हतशेषाश्च दैत्यास्ते पातालांतःसमा गताः । वृकोऽपि पंगुतां प्राप्तस्तस्थौ तपसि सुस्थिरम्

Transliteration

hataśeṣāśca daityāste pātālāṃtaḥsamā gatāḥ | vṛko'pi paṃgutāṃ prāptastasthau tapasi susthiram

Translation

เหล่าไทตยะที่เหลือรอดจากการสังหารก็พากันถอยลงสู่ห้วงลึกแห่งปาตาละ ส่วนวฤกะเอง ครั้นกลายเป็นคนง่อยแล้ว ก็ยืนมั่นในตบะอย่างแน่วแน่ ไม่หวั่นไหว

Word by Word

• हतशेषाः: having only remnants left (mostly slain)
• हतशेषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत-शेष (कृदन्त+प्रातिपदिक; √हन् (धातु) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) ‘हत’ + विशेष्य ‘शेष’—‘हताः शेषाः येषाम्’ इति समासार्थः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दैत्याः: demons (Daityas)
• दैत्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पाताल-अन्तः-समाः: inside Pātāla (the netherworld)
• पाताल-अन्तः-समाः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल + अन्तः + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः—‘पातालस्य अन्तः (अन्तरे) समाः’ = ‘within Pātāla’

• गताः: went / reached
• गताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘गच्छिताः/प्राप्ताः’

• वृकः: Vṛka
• वृकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-शब्दः ‘also/even’ (समुच्चय/अवधारण)

• पङ्गुताम्: lameness
• पङ्गुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्गुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: attained / became
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘प्राप्तवान्’ अर्थे

• तस्थौ: stood / remained
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तपसि: in austerity / in penance
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• सुस्थिरम्: very steady / firmly
• सुस्थिरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘सु’ + ‘स्थिर’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla (cosmic realm)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Surviving daityas slip into the dark depths of Pātāla; Vṛka, now lame, stands immovable in austerity—still, rigid posture, eyes fixed, surrounded by a stark, otherworldly landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Pātāla
• Vṛka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after defeat, intense tapas can redirect a life; steadiness in austerity is portrayed as powerful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is stated in this verse; it situates events in Meru/Pātāla cosmography within the Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity/penance) is referenced as a practice, but no specific rite is detailed.