Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दैत्यदानवसङ्घानां संयुगेष्वपलायिता । भयं चान्यन्न विद्येत मुक्त्वा देवं गदाधरम्

Transliteration

daityadānavasaṅghānāṃ saṃyugeṣvapalāyitā | bhayaṃ cānyanna vidyeta muktvā devaṃ gadādharam

Translation

In Schlachten gegen die Scharen der Daityas und Dānavas möge ich niemals fliehen. Und ich möge keine andere Furcht kennen — außer vor dem Gott, der die Keule trägt.

Word by Word

• दैत्यदानवसङ्घानाम्: of the hosts of Daityas and Dānavas
• दैत्यदानवसङ्घानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + दानव + सङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—दैत्यदानवानाम् सङ्घाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• संयुगेषु: in battles
• संयुगेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (locative plural)

• अपलायिता: not fleeing, steadfast
• अपलायिता: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपलायित (कृदन्त; अप + √लै/√ली धातु ‘to flee’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृत् (क्त) ‘one who has not fled’ (नञ्-भाव implied by a-)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• विद्येत: would exist/be found
• विद्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुक्त्वा: having left/excepting
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गदाधरम्: Gadādhara (mace-bearer, Viṣṇu)
• गदाधरम्: Visheshana (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गदां धरति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Kambu (Dānava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kambu requests unwavering valor against daitya/dānava hosts and declares only one fear: the mace-bearing Vishnu.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Dānava
• Gadādhara (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when empowered, cosmic order places a limit: hostility toward Hari (Viṣṇu) is not a path to lasting peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; it continues the Revā/Narmadā narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is part of the boon specification—fearlessness and steadfastness in battle.