Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

देवदानव युद्धं वा किं कार्यं वा महत्तरम्

Transliteration

devadānava yuddhaṃ vā kiṃ kāryaṃ vā mahattaram

Translation

શું દેવો અને દાનવોનું યુદ્ધ છે, કે પછી કોઈ અન્ય વધુ મહત્તર કાર્ય છે?

Word by Word

• देवदानव: of gods and demons
• देवदानव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूप; देवाश्च दानवाश्च (देव-दानव-सम्बन्धी)

• युद्धम्: war/battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• कार्यम्: task/matter
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• महत्तरम्: greater/more important
• महत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

Speaker

Skanda (continuation of inquiry)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda wonders aloud: is the urgent summons due to a deva–dānava war, or some even greater mission? The scene holds tension—battle possibility versus unknown higher purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Devas
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (dharma) often turns on divine intervention; discerning the true ‘greater task’ points to prioritizing dharma over fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it functions as a narrative prompt within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.