Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तत्कथं संक्षयस्तस्याः कर्तुं केनापि शक्यते । मनसापि महाभागाः पादुकानां विशेषतः

Transliteration

tatkathaṃ saṃkṣayastasyāḥ kartuṃ kenāpi śakyate | manasāpi mahābhāgāḥ pādukānāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

แล้วผู้ใดเล่าจะทำให้พระนางเสื่อมถอยได้? โอ้ผู้มีบุญทั้งหลาย โดยเฉพาะในเรื่องปาทุกาเหล่านั้น แม้เพียงในความคิดก็ยังมิอาจ

Word by Word

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Avyaya (Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘तत्’ = then/that (discourse particle)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Avyaya (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative adverb)

• संक्षयः: destruction, loss
• संक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do, to make
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थे ‘to do/make’

• केन: by whom/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (even/also)

• शक्यते: is possible, can be done
• शक्यते: Kriya (Possibility)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• मनसा: by mind, mentally
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (even)

• महाभागाः: O great ones / fortunate ones
• महाभागाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः भागाः/महाभागाः = ‘great/fortunate ones’), संबोधनार्थेऽपि सम्भवः

• पादुकानाम्: of the sandals
• पादुकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (especially, particularly)

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pādukā (Devī-associated)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahābhāgāḥ (devas addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord calmly instructs the devas, raising a hand in assurance; the pādukā symbol glows steadily, untouched by time; devas’ anxious faces soften into contemplation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ambā (implied)
• Pādukā
• Devas (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sacred power rooted in the Supreme Goddess cannot be diminished by external acts—or even by mere intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pādukā site of Ambā in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, presented as especially inviolable.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal assertion about the impossibility of diminishing the Goddess/Pādukā’s sanctity.