Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा भगवाञ्छंभुस्तीव्रं तीवपराक्रमः । भक्षयामास राजेंद्र नीलकण्ठस्ततोऽभवत्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhagavāñchaṃbhustīvraṃ tīvaparākramaḥ | bhakṣayāmāsa rājeṃdra nīlakaṇṭhastato'bhavat

Translation

大王啊，见那可怖之毒，世尊商婆以无可匹敌的威勇将其吞下；由此他得名“尼罗迦ṇṭha”——蓝喉之主。

Word by Word

• तम्: that (it)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Accusative, Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तीव्रम्: fierce, intense
• तीव्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• तीव्रपराक्रमः: of fierce valor
• तीव्रपराक्रमः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र + पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); समासः: तीव्रः पराक्रमः यस्य (कर्मधारय)

• भक्षयामास: ate, consumed
• भक्षयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular); समासः: राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• नीलकण्ठः: the blue-throated one
• नीलकण्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); समासः: नीलः कण्ठः यस्य (बहुव्रीहि)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/हेतु-बोधक (indeclinable adverb: then/thereupon)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa-type narration within Māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlakaṇṭha (as a sacred epithet often attached to a kṣetra/temple)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (राजेन्द्र)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu stands serene yet fierce; he lifts the poison to his lips and swallows; his throat turns deep blue; devas and asuras watch in stunned reverence; the cosmos steadies.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Śiva
• Nīlakaṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva embodies compassionate guardianship—accepting suffering to protect creation—revealing dharma as selfless responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this specific line narrates the Nīlakaṇṭha episode rather than naming a distinct tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.