Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततो देवाः समुत्थाय तत्त्यक्त्वा शस्त्रपाणयः । जघ्नुश्च निशितैः शस्त्रैः पलायनसमुत्सुकान् । लज्जाहीनान्गतामर्षान्दीनवाक्यप्रजल्पकान्

Transliteration

tato devāḥ samutthāya tattyaktvā śastrapāṇayaḥ | jaghnuśca niśitaiḥ śastraiḥ palāyanasamutsukān | lajjāhīnāngatāmarṣāndīnavākyaprajalpakān

Translation

پھر دیوتا اٹھ کھڑے ہوئے؛ ہتھیار ہاتھ میں لے کر انہوں نے تیز اسلحہ سے اُن لوگوں کو کاٹ گرایا جو بھاگنے کے خواہاں تھے—بےشرم، جن کا غصہ ٹھنڈا پڑ چکا تھا، اور جو بےچارگی کی باتیں بڑبڑا رہے تھے۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रम)

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

• samutthāya: having risen
• samutthāya: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ud-√sthā (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त), ‘having risen/standing up’

• tat: that (being)
• tat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tyaktvā: having left
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त), ‘having abandoned/left’

• śastra-pāṇayaḥ: weapon-in-hand (armed)
• śastra-pāṇayaḥ: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘शस्त्रं पाणौ येषाम्’ (weapons in hand)

• jaghnuḥ: they struck/killed
• jaghnuḥ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• niśitaiḥ: sharp
• niśitaiḥ: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• śastraiḥ: with weapons
• śastraiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• palāyana-samutsukān: those eager to flee
• palāyana-samutsukān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: palāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + samutsuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘पलायने समुत्सुकाः’ (eager to flee)

• lajjā-hīnān: shameless
• lajjā-hīnān: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lajjā (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘लज्जया हीनाः’ (devoid of shame)

• gata-amarṣān: with anger gone
• gata-amarṣān: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (√gam + kta) + amarṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘गतः अमर्षः येषाम्’ (whose anger/resentment is gone)

• dīna-vākya-prajalpakān: babbling pitiable words
• dīna-vākya-prajalpakān: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + prajalpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘दीनानि वाक्यानि प्रजल्पन्ति ये’ (those who prattle miserable words)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (continuous narration; likely Sūta continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic rout: gods rise with weapons, striking fleeing foes; the defeated are shameless, anger spent, pleading and babbling; sharp weapons flash.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is defended decisively; cowardice and shamelessness are portrayed as signs of spiritual and moral collapse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but the location is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, describing the gods’ action.