Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

नैरृतं दलमास्थाय भगवान्दुष्टदर्पहा । गृहस्थस्य सदा शत्रुविनाशं विदधाति सः

Transliteration

nairṛtaṃ dalamāsthāya bhagavānduṣṭadarpahā | gṛhasthasya sadā śatruvināśaṃ vidadhāti saḥ

Translation

เมื่อประทับ ณ ทิศไนฤต พระผู้เป็นเจ้า—ผู้บดขยี้ความโอหังของคนพาล—ย่อมบันดาลความพินาศแก่ศัตรูของคฤหัสถ์อยู่เนืองนิตย์

Word by Word

• नैरृतम्: southwestern
• नैरृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषण (qualifying दलम्)

• दलम्: group/side/quarter (sector)
• दलम्: Karma (Object of āsthāya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having occupied, taking position
• आस्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having taken/occupied’

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दुष्टदर्पहा: destroyer of the pride of the wicked
• दुष्टदर्पहा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट + दर्प + हन् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दुष्टानां दर्पं हन्ति इति); कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘-हा’ (हन्-धात्वर्थक)

• गृहस्थस्य: of the householder
• गृहस्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• शत्रुविनाशम्: destruction of enemies
• शत्रुविनाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शत्रूणां विनाशम्)

• विदधाति: brings about, accomplishes
• विदधाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject—appositional/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder’s shrine diagram showing the southwest quarter; the Lord stands there as a guardian, subduing dark, arrogant figures symbolizing wickedness; the household remains calm and protected.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān
• Nairṛta (direction)
• Gṛhastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order protects the righteous householder when worship is aligned with prescribed sacred directions and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it conveys a dharmic benefit tied to directional worship within the chapter’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse indicates a deity’s placement/adoration in the Nairṛta (southwest) quarter as a means to secure protection and enemy-destruction.