Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

नन्वेष राजा दुर्द्धर्षो देवानां रक्षसामपि । छद्मनैव प्रजेतव्यो मम शत्रुर्न चान्यथा

Transliteration

nanveṣa rājā durddharṣo devānāṃ rakṣasāmapi | chadmanaiva prajetavyo mama śatrurna cānyathā

Translation

En vérité, ce roi est imprenable, même pour les devas et les rākṣasas. Mon ennemi ne doit être vaincu que par le déguisement et la ruse, et par nul autre moyen.

Word by Word

• nanu: indeed; surely
• nanu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nanu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अनुमोदन/प्रश्नार्थक (indeed?/surely)

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• durddharṣaḥ: hard to overpower; formidable
• durddharṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + dharṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• rakṣasām: of the demons (rakṣasas)
• rakṣasām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि (also/even)

• chadmanā: by disguise; by deceit
• chadmanā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chadman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• eva: only; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• prajetavyaḥ: must be conquered
• prajetavyaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + ji (धातु) → prajetavya (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive/future passive participle) -तव्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (to be conquered)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śatruḥ: enemy
• śatruḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

The slain niśācara's younger brother (a rākṣasa), inferred from narrative flow

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shadowy rākṣasa figure, half-veiled, plotting with narrowed eyes; in the background a radiant king stands protected by an aura, while the villain gestures toward a mask/disguise.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• deva (gods)
• rākṣasa (demon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma often relies on deception when direct strength fails; the Purāṇic lens warns against guile and hidden hostility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of intent and strategy.