Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25
Devanagari script
नन्वेष राजा दुर्द्धर्षो देवानां रक्षसामपि । छद्मनैव प्रजेतव्यो मम शत्रुर्न चान्यथा
Transliteration
nanveṣa rājā durddharṣo devānāṃ rakṣasāmapi | chadmanaiva prajetavyo mama śatrurna cānyathā
Translation
নিশ্চয়ই এই রাজা দেবতা ও রাক্ষসদের পক্ষেও অদম্য। আমার শত্রুকে কেবল ছদ্মবেশ ও মায়ার দ্বারা জয় করতে হবে, অন্য উপায়ে নয়।
Word by Word
nanuindeed; surely
nanu:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnanu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (particle), अनुमोदन/प्रश्नार्थक (indeed?/surely)
eṣaḥthis (one)
eṣaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
rājāking
rājā:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrājan (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
durddharṣaḥhard to overpower; formidable
durddharṣaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootdur + dharṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)
devānāmof the gods
devānām:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
rakṣasāmof the demons (rakṣasas)
rakṣasām:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootrakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
apialso; even
api:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि (also/even)
chadmanāby disguise; by deceit
chadmanā:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootchadman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
evaonly; indeed
eva:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)
prajetavyaḥmust be conquered
prajetavyaḥ:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + ji (धातु) → prajetavya (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
Formकृत्य (gerundive/future passive participle) -तव्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (to be conquered)
mamamy
mama:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
śatruḥenemy
śatruḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśatru (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
anyathāotherwise
anyathā:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanyathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
Speaker
The slain niśācara's younger brother (a rākṣasa), inferred from narrative flow
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A shadowy rākṣasa figure, half-veiled, plotting with narrowed eyes; in the background a radiant king stands protected by an aura, while the villain gestures toward a mask/disguise.
Characters & Entities
R
rājā (king)D
deva (gods)R
rākṣasa (demon)FAQs
Adharma often relies on deception when direct strength fails; the Purāṇic lens warns against guile and hidden hostility.
No tīrtha is mentioned.
None; it is a statement of intent and strategy.