Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

सा भूयोपि हृताऽस्माकं क्षत्रियैर्बलवत्तरैः । तिरस्कृत्य द्विजान्सर्वांल्लीलयापि मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

sā bhūyopi hṛtā'smākaṃ kṣatriyairbalavattaraiḥ | tiraskṛtya dvijānsarvāṃllīlayāpi muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

پھر بھی یہ ہم سے زیادہ زور آور کشتریوں نے چھین لیا، اور وہ بار بار، حتیٰ کہ کھیل ہی کھیل میں بھی، تمام دِوِجوں کی توہین کرتے رہے۔

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (woman)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• हृता: was taken away, abducted
• हृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• क्षत्रियैः: by the kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• बलवत्तरैः: stronger, more powerful
• बलवत्तरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तुलनात्मक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (comparative) क्षत्रियैः इति विशेष्यस्य

• तिरस्कृत्य: having insulted, disregarding
• तिरस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तिरस् + कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• द्विजान्: the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण द्विजान् इति

• लीलया: playfully, as a sport
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas, carrying waterpots and manuscripts, are mocked and pushed aside by armed kṣatriyas; the sacred landscape remains in the background, suggesting a tīrtha whose peace is disturbed.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣatriyas
• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without dharma leads to repeated injustice; honoring sacred communities is presented as essential to righteous rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative by motivating the need for a protected sacred settlement in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes social wrongdoing (tiraskāra) as a dharmic failure.