Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

इंद्रोऽपि च परिज्ञाय दानवं तं महाबलम् । जरामृत्युपरित्यक्तं प्रभावात्परमेष्ठिनः

Transliteration

iṃdro'pi ca parijñāya dānavaṃ taṃ mahābalam | jarāmṛtyuparityaktaṃ prabhāvātparameṣṭhinaḥ

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രനും ആ മഹാബലനായ ദാനവനെ തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞു; പരമേഷ്ഠി (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്)യുടെ പ്രഭാവത്താൽ അവൻ ജരയും മരണവും വിട്ടവനാണെന്ന് അവൻ മനസ്സിലാക്കി.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• परिज्ञाय: having recognized
• परिज्ञाय: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having understood/recognized’

• दानवम्: the demon (Dānava)
• दानवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महाबलम्: very strong
• महाबलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-बल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानवम्); समासः—कर्मधारय (‘great’ + ‘strength’)

• जरामृत्युपरित्यक्तम्: forsaken by old age and death (i.e., deathless)
• जरामृत्युपरित्यक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जरा-मृत्यु-परित्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भे दानवविशेषणम्), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (‘abandoned’); समासः—द्वन्द्व (जरा+मृत्यु) तत्पुरुषेण सह (‘abandoned by old age and death’)

• प्रभावात्: from the power/effect
• प्रभावात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• परमेष्ठिनः: of the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin/Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raivataka-giri (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, alerted, looks down from his celestial court, realizing the Dānava’s boon-derived immunity from old age and death; devas gather in concern as storm-clouds and weapons glint, foreshadowing confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brahmā
• Dānava (Vṛka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma gains extraordinary protection, even the gods must respond with caution—highlighting the tension between boons and cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it explains the cause of Indra’s fear within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative exposition about a boon’s effect.