Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततः समभवद्युद्धं गणानां दानवैः सह । परस्परं महारौद्रं मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्

Transliteration

tataḥ samabhavadyuddhaṃ gaṇānāṃ dānavaiḥ saha | parasparaṃ mahāraudraṃ mṛtyuṃ kṛtvā nivartanam

Translation

Darauf entbrannte ein Kampf zwischen den Gaṇas und den Dānavas, beiderseits höchst schrecklich, wobei jeder den Tod zum Preis des Zurückweichens machte.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं (thereupon)

• समभवत्: arose/occurred
• समभवत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• गणानाम्: of the gaṇas
• गणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• दानवैः: with the Dānavas
• दानवैः: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण-सह), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

• परस्परम्: mutually
• परस्परम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (mutually)

• महारौद्रम्: very fierce/terrible
• महारौद्रम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद) + रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (युद्धम्/मृत्युम् इत्यस्य)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made/causing
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having made/caused)

• निवर्तनम्: retreat/turning back
• निवर्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु) → निवर्तन (प्रातिपदिक/भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भाववाचक (turning back/retreat)

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa speaking to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas and Dānavas collide in a mutually terrifying melee; the battlefield is dense with motion—maces, spears, and swirling dust—each side treating death as the price of retreat.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva’s gaṇas
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-struggle can be fierce; steadfastness is praised, but violence is framed as the consequence of entrenched adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the chapter’s larger sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.