Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

नान्यथा विजयो मे स्यात्संग्रामे दानवैः सह । इति मां प्राह देवेज्यो ज्ञात्वा सम्यङ्महामतिः

Transliteration

nānyathā vijayo me syātsaṃgrāme dānavaiḥ saha | iti māṃ prāha devejyo jñātvā samyaṅmahāmatiḥ

Translation

“അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ദാനവരോടുള്ള യുദ്ധത്തിൽ എനിക്ക് വിജയം ഉണ്ടാകുകയില്ല.” സ്ഥിതി ശരിയായി ഗ്രഹിച്ച മഹാമതി ദേവേജ്യൻ (ബൃഹസ്പതി) എന്നോടിങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• vijayaḥ: victory
• vijayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• saṅgrāme: in battle
• saṅgrāme: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• dānavaiḥ: with the Dānavas (demons)
• dānavaiḥ: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• mām: me
• mām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devejyaḥ: the priest of the gods (Bṛhaspati)
• devejyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + ijya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानाम् इज्यः = देवपूजक/देवयाजक); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• samyaṅ: properly
• samyaṅ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyañc (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: properly)

• mahāmatiḥ: the great-minded one
• mahāmatiḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महती मतिः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator quoting Bṛhaspati’s counsel)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, anxious yet resolute, receives decisive counsel from Bṛhaspati amid a celestial court setting; the atmosphere is tense with the shadow of Daṇava war.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati (Devejya)
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right understanding (samyag-jñāna) and proper means are essential; dharmic success depends on wisdom-guided action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it highlights counsel and discernment.