Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

शंसमानः प्रवीरांस्तान्राक्षसान्बलवत्तरान् । कुम्भकर्णेन्द्रजित्पूर्वान्संख्ये चाभिमुखागतान्

Transliteration

śaṃsamānaḥ pravīrāṃstānrākṣasānbalavattarān | kumbhakarṇendrajitpūrvānsaṃkhye cābhimukhāgatān

Translation

He spoke in praise of those mighty, valiant Rākṣasas—foremost among them Kumbhakarṇa and Indrajit—who had come face to face in battle.

Word by Word

• शंसमानः: praising, describing
• शंसमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• प्रवीरान्: heroes, mighty warriors
• प्रवीरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• राक्षसान्: rākṣasas, demons
• राक्षसान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• बलवत्तरान्: stronger, more powerful
• बलवत्तरान्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तद्धित/तुलनात्मक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative adjective)

• कुम्भकर्णेन्द्रजित्पूर्वान्: beginning with Kumbhakarṇa and Indrajit
• कुम्भकर्णेन्द्रजित्पूर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुम्भकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रजित् (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश-तत्पुरुषार्थः—‘कुम्भकर्ण-इन्द्रजित्-आदि’ (beginning with Kumbhakarṇa and Indrajit)

• सङ्ख्ये: in battle, in combat
• सङ्ख्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• अभिमुखागतान्: having come forward, approaching face-to-face
• अभिमुखागतान्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक) + आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त) ‘आगत’; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष—‘अभिमुखं आगत’ (come facing/approaching)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha / Rāmeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, calm yet martial, speaks of the fallen rākṣasa heroes; behind him stand vānaras with bows and maces; the sea-wind and the distant Setu frame the aftermath of battle.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbhakarṇa
• Indrajit
• Rākṣasas
• Śrī Rāma (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes fairness of vision—true nobility recognizes valor even in opponents, without celebrating adharmic aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a direct tīrtha praise; it supports the Setubandha–Rāmeśvara Mahātmya by framing the moral memory of the campaign.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None mentioned.