Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ऋजुमार्गेण युद्धे मे प्राणनाशो भविष्यति । छलेन युध्यमानस्य जयश्चास्य रिपुक्षयः

Transliteration

ṛjumārgeṇa yuddhe me prāṇanāśo bhaviṣyati | chalena yudhyamānasya jayaścāsya ripukṣayaḥ

Translation

“ഞാൻ നേരായ വഴിയിൽ യുദ്ധം ചെയ്താൽ എന്റെ പ്രാണനാശം സംഭവിക്കും; എന്നാൽ ചതിയോടെ യുദ്ധം ചെയ്താൽ വിജയം ലഭിക്കും, ശത്രുനാശവും ഉണ്ടാകും।”

Word by Word

• ऋजु-मार्गेण: by the straight way
• ऋजु-मार्गेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राण-नाशः: loss of life
• प्राण-नाशः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणानां नाशः)

• भविष्यति: will happen, will be
• भविष्यति: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• छलेन: by deceit, by trickery
• छलेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• युध्यमानस्य: of (me) fighting
• युध्यमानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √युध् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदी participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of one who is fighting’

• जयः: victory
• जयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अस्य: of him/this (of mine)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रिपु-क्षयः: destruction of enemies
• रिपु-क्षयः: Karta (Co-subject with जयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रिपूणां क्षयः)

Speaker

Aśvatthāmā (reported speech within narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior visualizes two futures: on the bright straight path he falls in honorable combat; on the dark crooked path he stands victorious amid ruin. The composition contrasts light vs shadow, straight line vs serpentine curve.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvatthāmā (implied)
• Enemies (Ripu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Choosing deceit for survival and victory reveals adharma-driven reasoning; the listener is urged to uphold righteous means even under pressure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is directly glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.