Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अन्यः शक्रः प्रकर्तव्यो मंत्रवीर्यसमुद्भवः । आथर्वणैर्महासूक्तैराभिचारिकसंभवैः

Transliteration

anyaḥ śakraḥ prakartavyo maṃtravīryasamudbhavaḥ | ātharvaṇairmahāsūktairābhicārikasaṃbhavaiḥ

Translation

‘منتر کی قوت سے پیدا ہونے والا ایک اور شکر رچنا چاہیے—اتھروَن کے عظیم سوکتوں کے ذریعے، جو قابو کرنے والی (اَبھیچارک) رسموں سے جنم لیتے ہیں۔’

Word by Word

• anyaḥ: another
• anyaḥ: Karta (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (śakraḥ)

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prakartavyaḥ: should be made/appointed
• prakartavyaḥ: Vidhi (predicate adjective of śakraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विध्यर्थक कृदन्त: ‘to be made/should be appointed’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mantravīryasamudbhavaḥ: born from the potency of mantras
• mantravīryasamudbhavaḥ: Karta (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + vīrya (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (sam-ud-bhū (धातु) + घञ्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: मन्त्र-वीर्य-समुद्भव (तत्पुरुष: ‘arising from the power of mantras’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (śakraḥ)

• ātharvaṇaiḥ: with Atharvanic
• ātharvaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātharvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (mahāsūktaiḥ)

• mahāsūktaiḥ: with great hymns
• mahāsūktaiḥ: Karaṇa (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + sūkta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: महा-सूक्त (कर्मधारय: ‘great hymns’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ābhicārikasaṃbhavaiḥ: produced from (ritual) sorcery/abhichāra
• ābhicārikasaṃbhavaiḥ: Karaṇa (instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ābhicārika (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (sam-bhū (धातु) + घञ्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: आभिचारिक-संभव (तत्पुरुष: ‘arising from abhichāra/witchcraft rites’); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (mahāsūktaiḥ)

Speaker

Vālakhilya Munis (collective resolve within the mantra-rite)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages declare the intent to fashion ‘another Indra’ through mantra-virya, employing Atharvanic great hymns with coercive (ābhicārika) force; the ritual fire seems to flare as if birthing a new cosmic authority.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Atharvanic hymns (Ātharvaṇa)
• Mahāsūktas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma teaches accountability: even divine offices can be reassigned when their holder violates righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not applicable in this verse; it focuses on mantra-śakti and the office of Indra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of Ātharvaṇa mahāsūktas in a forceful mantra-prayoga (ābhicārika-type rite) to effect a cosmic change.