Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

शक्रोच्छेदाय चास्माभिः शकोऽन्यो वीर्यमंत्रतः । प्रारब्धः कर्तुमत्युग्रैर्होमांतश्च व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

śakrocchedāya cāsmābhiḥ śako'nyo vīryamaṃtrataḥ | prārabdhaḥ kartumatyugrairhomāṃtaśca vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

اور شکر (اندرا) کے وِناش کے لیے ہم نے منتر کی زبردست قوت سے ایک اور ‘شکر’ پیدا کرنے کا آغاز کیا؛ نہایت سخت ارادے کے ساتھ ہم اختتامی ہوم کی آہوتیوں تک رسم کو پہنچانے پر آمادہ ہو گئے۔

Word by Word

• शक्रोच्छेदाय: for the destruction of Śakra
• शक्रोच्छेदाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (dative of purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शकः: a Śaka (person/king)
• शकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (शकः)

• वीर्यमन्त्रतः: by means of a powerful mantra
• वीर्यमन्त्रतः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'by/through the power-mantra'

• प्रारब्धः: was begun, was undertaken
• प्रारब्धः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), अव्यय

• अति-उग्रैः: by very fierce (ones)
• अति-उग्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (अस्माभिः) / साधनवाचक; 'अत्युग्र' = अत्यन्त-उग्र

• होमान्तः: the end of the oblation/rite
• होमान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• व्यवस्थितः: was arranged/was set in place
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग

Speaker

Sages (Munis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dakṣa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing homa with sages chanting; from the fire, a formidable, radiant figure symbolizing an ‘alternate Indra’ begins to manifest, while the atmosphere is charged and ominous.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Munis (Sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-power is effective but morally weighty; when driven by anger or rivalry it can become adharma and threaten cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it forms part of the narrative embedded in the Tīrthamāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references a homa performed with vīrya-mantras and carried toward homānta (the concluding stage), indicating a formal sacrificial procedure.