Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । एवं तेषु प्रभग्नेषु हतेषु च सुरोत्तमाः । प्रहृष्टमनसः सर्वे स्तुत्वा देवं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | evaṃ teṣu prabhagneṣu hateṣu ca surottamāḥ | prahṛṣṭamanasaḥ sarve stutvā devaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: ครั้นเมื่อพวกนั้นถูกตีแตกและถูกสังหารแล้ว เหล่าเทพผู้ประเสริฐทั้งปวงมีใจปีติ ต่างสรรเสริญพระมหेशวรเจ้า

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• तेषु: among them / in them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रभग्नेषु: when (they were) routed/broken
• प्रभग्नेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-भञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); पुं/नपुं (contextual agreement with ‘तेषु’)

• हतेषु: when (they were) slain
• हतेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); पुं/नपुं (contextual)

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

• सुरोत्तमाः: the best of the gods
• सुरोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); सुरोत्तम (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रहृष्टमनसः: having delighted minds
• प्रहृष्टमनसः: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘सुरोत्तमाः/सर्वे’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-हृष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक); प्रहृष्ट-मनस् (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुव्रीहिः = ‘येषां मनः प्रहृष्टम्’

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक); महेश्वर (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield aftermath: routed foes, devas assembled with uplifted faces, hands in añjali, offering hymns to Maheśvara who stands serene, ash-smeared, with trident and crescent moon.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)
• Surottamas (Devas)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After protection and victory, gratitude expressed through praise of Maheśvara is upheld as a dharmic response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka introduces a praise sequence within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the tīrtha is not specified in this single opening verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praise (stuti) of Maheśvara is modeled, but no explicit rule of snāna, dāna, or vrata is stated here.