Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तारकोऽपि समालोक्य देवान्स्वयमुपागतान् । युद्धार्थं हर्षसंयुक्तः सम्मुखः सत्वरं ययौ

Transliteration

tārako'pi samālokya devānsvayamupāgatān | yuddhārthaṃ harṣasaṃyuktaḥ sammukhaḥ satvaraṃ yayau

Translation

تارک نے بھی خود آئے ہوئے دیوتاؤں کو دیکھ کر، جنگ کی نیت سے خوشی میں بھر کر فوراً اُن کے مقابلے کے لیے سامنے بڑھا۔

Word by Word

• तारकः: Tāraka (the demon)
• तारकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे “also/even”

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; “having seen/observed”

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्वयम्: personally, himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) “oneself/personally”

• उपागतान्: who had come/arrived
• उपागतान्: Karma (कर्म) (qualifier of object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; देवान् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• युद्धार्थम्: for battle
• युद्धार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (purpose: “for the sake of battle”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative used adverbially)

• हर्षसंयुक्तः: filled with joy
• हर्षसंयुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (सम्-युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/संबन्धार्थ (“joined with joy”); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तारकः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सम्मुखः: facing (them), in front
• सम्मुखः: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तारकः इति विशेषणम्

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) “quickly/in haste”

• ययौ: went, advanced
• ययौ: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māhātmya-style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tāraka, armored and exultant, strides forward to meet the assembled devas; banners whip in a dust-laden sky as divine hosts form ranks.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma rushes toward conflict with pride; Purāṇic narrative frames such eagerness for violence as a mark of demonic disposition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line is part of the broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya chapter; it shifts to the confrontation scene and does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the antagonist’s response and the onset of battle.