Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

स हि राज्ञामजेयोऽभूद्यथापूर्वं बलिर्बली । कंटकं कंटकेनेव धृतराष्ट्रो जिगाय तम्

Transliteration

sa hi rājñāmajeyo'bhūdyathāpūrvaṃ balirbalī | kaṃṭakaṃ kaṃṭakeneva dhṛtarāṣṭro jigāya tam

Translation

Denn er war unter den Königen unbesiegbar gewesen, wie der mächtige Bali von einst; doch Dhṛtarāṣṭra bezwang ihn—wie man einen Dorn mit einem anderen Dorn entfernt.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• rājñām: of kings
• rājñām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• ajeyaḥ: unconquerable
• ajeyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-jeya (प्रातिपदिक) < √ji (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/negated adjective ‘unconquerable’

• abhūt: became/was
• abhūt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yathā-pūrvam: as before, as formerly
• yathā-pūrvam: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)

• baliḥ: Bali
• baliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; proper name

• balī: the mighty
• balī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; appositional epithet

• kaṇṭakam: a thorn (trouble)
• kaṇṭakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• kaṇṭakena: with a thorn
• kaṇṭakena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• iva: as if, like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhṛtarāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• jigāya: conquered
• jigāya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ji (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bali
• rājā
• kaṇṭaka (thorn metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic discourse often frames pragmatic governance: a harmful force may be neutralized through an opposing force, like thorn against thorn.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is political-narrative rather than tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.