Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अमात्या ऊचुः । को जानाति सुरान्दीनान्दैत्यानामिति नो मतिः

Transliteration

amātyā ūcuḥ | ko jānāti surāndīnāndaityānāmiti no matiḥ

Translation

Die Minister sprachen: „Wer vermag zu wissen, dass die Götter schwach und die Daityas stark sind? So ist unser Verständnis.“

Word by Word

• amātyāḥ: ministers
• amātyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amātya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• jānāti: knows
• jānāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• surān: the gods
• surān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• dīnān: wretched, weak
• dīnān: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषण (surān-विशेषण)

• daityānām: of the demons
• daityānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• matiḥ: opinion, thought
• matiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Amātyas (ministers of Tāraka)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of ministers responds defensively in the court, gesturing uncertainty yet masking it with bravado; their faces show a mix of doubt and pride.

Characters & Entities

• Amātyas
• Suras (devas)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arrogance and overconfidence distort judgment; dharma warns that power without humility invites downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.