Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततश्च त्वरया युक्तो रक्तशृंगं नगोत्तमम् । प्रचिक्षेप बिले तस्मिन्स्वयमेव शतक्रतुः

Transliteration

tataśca tvarayā yukto raktaśṛṃgaṃ nagottamam | pracikṣepa bile tasminsvayameva śatakratuḥ

Translation

ครั้นแล้ว ด้วยความเร่งร้อน ศตกรตุ (อินทรา) เองได้เหวี่ยงภูเขาอันประเสริฐนามว่า รักตศฤงคะ ลงสู่โพรงนั้นโดยตรง

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• tvarayā: with haste
• tvarayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्

• yuktaḥ: joined/engaged, endowed
• yuktaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु √yuj) → yukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (śatakratuḥ)

• rakta-śṛṅgam: Red-horn (mountain named)
• rakta-śṛṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + śṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारयः (raktaṃ śṛṅgaṃ yasya/tat); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• naga-uttamam: the best of mountains
• naga-uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naga (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (nagaḥ uttamaḥ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (raktaśṛṅgam)

• pracikṣepa: threw forth / cast
• pracikṣepa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṣip (धातु √kṣip)
• Form: लकारः लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, पुरुषः 3 (प्रथम), वचनम् एकवचनम्; उपसर्गः pra-

• bile: in the cave
• bile: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक (reflexive adverb)

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

• śata-kratuḥ: Śatakratu (Indra)
• śata-kratuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (śataṃ kratavaḥ yasya—बहुव्रीह्यर्थे रूढिः, इन्द्रनाम); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta, by section convention in Māhātmya dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raktśṛṅga (mythic mountain associated with a sealed cavern)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, in haste, lifts and hurls the ‘excellent’ mountain Raktśṛṅga into the gaping cavern; dust, thunder, and a flash of vajra-like force accompany the sealing.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Raktaśṛṅga (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine powers act decisively to protect dharma and to establish or conceal sacred realities connected with a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context; it points to a locality marked by a cavern (bila) and the Raktśṛṅga episode, framing the site’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a narrative action establishing the sacred setting.