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

നിശ്ചയമായും ഈ രാജാവ് ദേവന്മാർക്കും രാക്ഷസന്മാർക്കും പോലും അജേയൻ. എന്റെ ശത്രുവിനെ വേഷമാറ്റവും മായയും കൊണ്ടുമാത്രം ജയിക്കണം; മറ്റുവഴിയില്ല.

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.