Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततो निर्भिद्य शूलाग्रैः प्रोत्क्षिप्य गगनांगणे । छत्रवद्धारयामास लंबमानमधोमुखम् । अक्षरद्रुधिरं भूमौ गात्रेभ्यो वर्ष्मसंभवम्

Transliteration

tato nirbhidya śūlāgraiḥ protkṣipya gaganāṃgaṇe | chatravaddhārayāmāsa laṃbamānamadhomukham | akṣaradrudhiraṃ bhūmau gātrebhyo varṣmasaṃbhavam

Translation

پھر شیو نے ترشول کی نوکوں سے اسے چھید کر کھلے آسمان میں اچھال دیا اور چھتری کی مانند اوپر تھامے رکھا—الٹا لٹکتا ہوا—اور اس کے اعضا سے بہتا خون بوند بوند زمین پر ٹپکتا رہا۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): 'thereupon/then'

• nirbhidya: having pierced
• nirbhidya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√bhid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), from √भिद् 'to split' with उपसर्ग 'निर्'; 'having pierced/split'

• śūla-agraiḥ: with the spear-tips
• śūla-agraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः: 'शूलस्य अग्राणि' → 'spear-tips'

• protkṣipya: having flung upward
• protkṣipya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ut-√kṣip (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), from √क्षिप् 'to throw' with उपसर्ग 'प्र+उत्'; 'having hurled up'

• gagana-aṅgaṇe: in the expanse of the sky
• gagana-aṅgaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gagana (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'गगनस्य अङ्गणम्' = 'sky-courtyard/expanse'

• chatra-vat: like an umbrella
• chatra-vat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: chatra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverbial): वत्-प्रत्ययान्त 'like/as (a) umbrella'

• dhārayāmāsa: he held
• dhārayāmāsa: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense in usage 'held/kept holding' (धारयामास = 'he held')

• laṃbamānam: hanging
• laṃbamānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √lamb (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; 'hanging' (qualifying object)

• adhaḥ-mukham: with face downward
• adhaḥ-mukham: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: 'अधः मुखं यस्य' = 'face downward'

• akṣarat: dripped, flowed
• akṣarat: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣar (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √क्षर् 'to flow/drip' → 'dripped/flowed'

• rudhiram: blood
• rudhiram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; (subject of akṣarat)

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• gātrebhyaḥ: from the limbs
• gātrebhyaḥ: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), बहुवचन

• varṣma-saṃbhavam: born from the body
• varṣma-saṃbhavam: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varṣman (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता) एकवचन (rudhiram-विशेषण); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'वर्ष्मणः सम्भवम्' = 'arising from the body/flesh'

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva pierces Andhaka with trident points, flings him into the sky, and holds him aloft like a parasol; the demon hangs upside down as blood rains onto the earth, marking the ground below as newly sanctified.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śaṅkara)
• Andhaka (Daitya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine can subdue unchecked power in a way that publicly overturns pride, making a lesson of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it functions as narrative within a larger tīrtha-glorifying chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of Śiva’s act.