Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अस्त्राभावात्ततस्तूर्णं ध्रियमाणेऽपि कांतया । द्वंद्वयुद्धेन तं व्याघ्रं योधयामास भूपतिः

Transliteration

astrābhāvāttatastūrṇaṃ dhriyamāṇe'pi kāṃtayā | dvaṃdvayuddhena taṃ vyāghraṃ yodhayāmāsa bhūpatiḥ

Translation

ต่อมาเพราะขาดอาวุธพุ่ง แม้นางผู้เป็นที่รักยังรั้งไว้ พระราชาก็รีบเข้าต่อสู้กับเสือตัวนั้นด้วยยุทธดวลเดี่ยว

Word by Word

• अस्त्राभावात्: due to lack of weapons
• अस्त्राभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अस्त्र-अभाव = lack of weapons), पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण ‘then’

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘quickly’

• ध्रियमाणे: while (it was) being held
• ध्रियमाणे: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु) → ध्रियमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘while being held’

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘even/although’

• कान्तया: by the beloved woman (his wife)
• कान्तया: Karta/Instrument (Agent/means in passive context/कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• द्वन्द्वयुद्धेन: by single combat
• द्वन्द्वयुद्धेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक) + युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वन्द्व-युद्ध = hand-to-hand duel), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्याघ्रम्: tiger
• व्याघ्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• योधयामास: fought/engaged (it) in combat
• योधयामास: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु) → योधय (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative) ‘made (him) fight/engaged in fighting’

• भूपतिः: the king
• भूपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages within Nāgarakhaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Weaponless, the king lunges into close combat with the tiger while his beloved clutches his arm or garment, pleading restraint; dust and motion fill the grove.

Characters & Entities

• bhūpati (king)
• kāntā (beloved wife)
• vyāghra (tiger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When resources fail, resolve rooted in dharma remains—true protection is not merely by weapons, but by steadfast courage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It contributes to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya’s glorification in Adhyāya 95, using a dramatic trial to magnify the sacred setting’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative and exemplary (ācāra) rather than prescriptive.