Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

भक्ष्यन्ते दानवाः केचिद्वध्यन्ते त्वथ चापरे । अर्धभक्षित गात्राश्च प्रणश्यंति तथा परे

Transliteration

bhakṣyante dānavāḥ kecidvadhyante tvatha cāpare | ardhabhakṣita gātrāśca praṇaśyaṃti tathā pare

Translation

Einige Dānavas wurden verschlungen, andere wurden erschlagen. Wieder andere, mit halb verzehrten Gliedmaßen, kamen ebenfalls um.

Word by Word

• भक्ष्यन्ते: are being eaten
• भक्ष्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Ātmanepada; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive sense: ‘are eaten’)

• दानवाः: demons
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite: ‘some’)

• वध्यन्ते: are being killed
• वध्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Ātmanepada; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive: ‘are slain’)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (then/and now)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (‘others’)

• अर्धभक्षित: half-eaten
• अर्धभक्षित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ध + भक्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भक्ष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-अव्ययवत्); ‘half-eaten’; समासः कर्मधारय

• गात्राः: bodies/limbs
• गात्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• प्रणश्यन्ति: perish, disappear
• प्रणश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (likewise)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (‘others’)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic battlefield where some daityas are being devoured, others slain; fallen bodies and half-eaten limbs convey the terror and totality of defeat, with survivors fleeing into darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked violence and arrogance return as overwhelming consequence; adharma collapses under the force it created.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a battlefield outcome description.