Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10
Devanagari script
देवदानव युद्धं वा किं कार्यं वा महत्तरम्
Transliteration
devadānava yuddhaṃ vā kiṃ kāryaṃ vā mahattaram
Translation
ഇത് ദേവ-ദാനവ യുദ്ധമാണോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അതിലും മഹത്തായ മറ്റേതെങ്കിലും കാര്യമാണോ?
Word by Word
देवदानवof gods and demons
देवदानव:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदेव + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासपूर्वपद-रूप; देवाश्च दानवाश्च (देव-दानव-सम्बन्धी)
युद्धम्war/battle
युद्धम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक
कार्यम्task/matter
कार्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)
महत्तरम्greater/more important
महत्तरम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, 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
S
SkandaD
DevasD
DānavasFAQs
Cosmic order (dharma) often turns on divine intervention; discerning the true ‘greater task’ points to prioritizing dharma over fear.
None in this verse; it functions as a narrative prompt within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya framework.
None.