Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

रावण उवाच । वानरैश्च नरैरृक्षैर्वराहैश्च निरायुधैः । देवासुरसमूहैश्च न जितोऽहं कदाचन

Transliteration

rāvaṇa uvāca | vānaraiśca narairṛkṣairvarāhaiśca nirāyudhaiḥ | devāsurasamūhaiśca na jito'haṃ kadācana

Translation

રાવણ બોલ્યો—નિરાયુધ વાનરો, મનુષ્યો, ઋક્ષો (રીંછ) અને વરાહો દ્વારા, તેમજ દેવ-અસુરોના સમૂહો દ્વારા પણ, હું કદી પરાજિત થયો નથી.

Word by Word

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वानरैः: by monkeys
• वानरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऋक्षैः: by bears
• ऋक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वराहैः: by boars
• वराहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• निरायुधैः: unarmed
• निरायुधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्/उपसर्गपूर्वक-समासः (निर् + आयुध) ‘अयुधरहित’

• देवासुरसमूहैः: by groups of gods and demons
• देवासुरसमूहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + असुर + समूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (देवाः च असुराः च) + समूह

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• जितः: defeated
• जितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Rāvaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa narrative frame

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the purāṇic frame; immediate interlocutor: Rāvaṇa speaks

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa in a regal assembly proclaims his unbeaten record, gesturing dismissively at imagined foes—monkeys, men, bears, boars—while shadowy hosts of devas/asuras loom as defeated memories.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Vānaras
• Naras (men)
• Ṛkṣas (bears)
• Varāhas (boars)
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Arrogance born of past victories blinds one to dharma and to the unseen turning of time, making defeat inevitable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a dialogue moment in the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a boastful declaration within the story.