Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

देवाश्चापि हतोत्साहाः प्रहारैः क्षतविक्षताः । मंत्रं चक्रुर्मिथो भूत्वा बृहस्पतिपुरःसराः

Transliteration

devāścāpi hatotsāhāḥ prahāraiḥ kṣatavikṣatāḥ | maṃtraṃ cakrurmitho bhūtvā bṛhaspatipuraḥsarāḥ

Translation

دیوتا بھی جوش ہار بیٹھے، ضربوں سے زخمی و چور چور تھے؛ وہ بَریہسپتی کو پیشوا بنا کر اکٹھے ہوئے اور باہم مشورہ کرنے لگے۔

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/समुच्चय) = ‘also/even’

• हतोत्साहाः: dispirited; with courage lost
• हतोत्साहाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (√हन्; कृदन्त) + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः = ‘whose enthusiasm is slain’; विशेषण of देवाः

• प्रहारैः: by blows; by strikes
• प्रहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन = Masculine, Instrumental plural

• क्षतविक्षताः: wounded and torn
• क्षतविक्षताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षत (√क्षन्/√क्षद्; कृदन्त) + विक्षत (वि+√क्षन्/√क्षद्; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व = ‘wounded and mangled’; विशेषण of देवाः

• मन्त्रम्: counsel; consultation
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular

• चक्रुः: they made; they held
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मिथः: mutually
• मिथः: Adhikaraṇa (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परस्पर/reciprocal adverb) = ‘mutually/with one another’

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) = ‘having become’

• बृहस्पतिपुरःसराः: led by Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिपुरःसराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि = ‘having Bṛhaspati in front/led by Bṛhaspati’; विशेषण of देवाः

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Devas, bruised and bloodied, gather in a tight circle; Bṛhaspati stands or sits at the head, calm and luminous, as they deliberate a mantra/plan; the mood is grave yet hopeful.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When strength fails, wise counsel (mantra) becomes the refuge; dharma values guidance from the guru-like principle represented by Bṛhaspati.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; ‘mantra’ here means deliberation/counsel, not a japa instruction.