Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

निवातकवचाः सर्वे रवरावकसंज्ञकाः । अन्ये च बहवो दैत्याः प्रजासंहारकारकाः

Transliteration

nivātakavacāḥ sarve ravarāvakasaṃjñakāḥ | anye ca bahavo daityāḥ prajāsaṃhārakārakāḥ

Translation

‘നിവാതകവച’ എന്നവർ എല്ലാവരും ‘രവാരാവക’ എന്ന പേരിലും അറിയപ്പെട്ടു. കൂടാതെ അനേകം ദൈത്യർ ജനിച്ച്, പ്രജാസംഹാരത്തിന് കാരണമായി മാറി.

Word by Word

• निवातकवचाः: (demons) called Nivātakavaca
• निवातकवचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवात + कवच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—'निवातं कवचं येषां ते' इति (बहुव्रीहिरपि सम्भवः), अत्र नामरूपेण प्रथमा-बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रवरावकसंज्ञकाः: having the name Ravarāvaka
• रवरावकसंज्ञकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रवरावक + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—'रवरावक इति संज्ञा येषां ते' (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samucchaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दैत्याः: Daityas (demons)
• दैत्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रजासंहारकारकाः: causing the destruction of creatures
• प्रजासंहारकारकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रजा + संहार + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—'प्रजानां संहारः' (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + 'कारक' (तत्पुरुष: संहारस्य कारकाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative framing)

Characters & Entities

• Nivātakavaca
• Ravārāvaka
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked adharma and violent power inevitably become destructive to society; dharma requires protection through divine order and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is narrative (asura activity) rather than direct tīrtha-praise; it occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa, whose larger frame glorifies Kedāra (Kedarnath) and the Himalayan sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets narrative context about destructive forces opposing dharma.