Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

न किंचिज्ज्ञायते तत्र समं विषममेव च । केवलं दानवेन्द्रश्च सर्वं पश्यति नेतरः

Transliteration

na kiṃcijjñāyate tatra samaṃ viṣamameva ca | kevalaṃ dānavendraśca sarvaṃ paśyati netaraḥ

Translation

There, nothing could be discerned—neither level nor uneven; only the lord of the Dānavas could see everything, and no one else.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम

• jñāyate: is known; is perceived
• jñāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• samam: even; level
• samam: Karma (Object-part/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (implicit ‘किंचित्’)

• viṣamam: uneven; irregular
• viṣamam: Karma (Object-part/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kevalam: only
• kevalam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial: only)

• dānavendraḥ: lord of the Dānavas
• dānavendraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘दानवानाम् इन्द्रः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु; पश्य-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• itaraḥ: another; anyone else
• itaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice within the Tīrthamāhātmya frame; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A near-total blackout where terrain disappears; confused figures grope in darkness while the dānava king moves confidently, eyes gleaming, as if the darkness is his domain.

Characters & Entities

• Dānaveśvara/Dānava-indra (Andhaka implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tamas creates confusion for beings; only the one who generates deception benefits from it—an image of adharma’s manipulative advantage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.