Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततः शस्त्रं समुद्यम्य यावद्धावति सम्मुखः । तावच्छृंगप्रहारेण सोनयद्यमसादनम्

Transliteration

tataḥ śastraṃ samudyamya yāvaddhāvati sammukhaḥ | tāvacchṛṃgaprahāreṇa sonayadyamasādanam

Translation

پھر جب دشمن ہتھیار اٹھا کر روبرو دوڑا آیا، تو ربّ نے اپنے سینگ کی ایک ضرب سے اسے یَم کے دھام کی طرف روانہ کر دیا۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त

• शस्त्रम्: weapon
• शस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समुद्यम्य: having raised
• समुद्यम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + यम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (converb): 'having lifted/raised'

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal limiter/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिबोधक (as long as/until)

• धावति: runs
• धावति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सम्मुखः: facing (him), head-on
• सम्मुखः: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (implicit subject)

• तावत्: so long/then
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावदर्थक (so long/just then)

• शृङ्गप्रहारेण: by a blow with (his) horn
• शृङ्गप्रहारेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग + प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-भाव: शृङ्गेण कृतः प्रहारः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सोनयत्: sent/led
• सोनयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सु + नी (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense not intended here; 'led/sent'

• यमसादनम्: to Yama’s abode (death)
• यमसादनम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + सादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यमस्य सादनम् 'abode of Yama'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A foe charges head-on with weapon raised; in the same breath, the Lord strikes with a horn, and the attacker collapses—motion frozen at the instant of fatal impact, with Yama’s realm implied beyond.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Aggression against dharma rebounds instantly; divine justice is decisive and timely.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse contributes to a Tīrthamāhātmya narrative where the Lord’s victory sanctifies and protects the sacred region; the site name is not specified here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a martial description.