Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ततो विश्वासमाया तं जहि वज्रेण दानवम् । षडुपायै रिपुर्वध्य इति शास्त्रनिदर्शनम्

Transliteration

tato viśvāsamāyā taṃ jahi vajreṇa dānavam | ṣaḍupāyai ripurvadhya iti śāstranidarśanam

Translation

Par conséquent, par le stratagème de gagner sa confiance, abats ce Dānava avec la foudre — tel est l'enseignement montré dans les écritures : un ennemi doit être soumis par les six moyens de la politique.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रम/then, thereafter)

• विश्वासमाया: by the stratagem of trust
• विश्वासमाया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वास + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘विश्वासस्य माया’ (deception by trust)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जहि: slay
• जहि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वज्रेण: with the thunderbolt
• वज्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• दानवम्: the demon
• दानवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• षट्: six
• षट्: Saṅkhyā (Numeral qualifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे (six)

• उपायैः: by means/strategies
• उपायैः: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• रिपुः: an enemy
• रिपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वध्यः: is to be slain
• वध्यः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध् (धातु) + यत् → वध्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be slain)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyānta-nirdeśa (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative)

• शास्त्रनिदर्शनम्: a scriptural illustration
• शास्त्रनिदर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र + निदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘शास्त्रस्य निदर्शनम्’

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (implied counsel within the narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Advisor instructs Indra to employ trust-winning deception and then strike with the vajra; a juxtaposition of calm persuasion and sudden thunderbolt power.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Indra (Śakra)
• Vṛtra
• Dānava
• Vajra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames worldly conflict through śāstric nīti: discernment and strategy may be employed, yet action is still presented as guided by scriptural precedent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this particular line focuses on the Indra–Vṛtra narrative and does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it teaches policy (ṣaḍupāya) within the story.