Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

देवदानव युद्धं वा किं कार्यं वा महत्तरम्

Transliteration

devadānava yuddhaṃ vā kiṃ kāryaṃ vā mahattaram

Translation

देव-दानवांचे युद्ध आहे काय, की आणखी काही अधिक महान कार्य आहे?

Word by Word

• देवदानव: of gods and demons
• देवदानव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-रूप; देवाश्च दानवाश्च (देव-दानव-सम्बन्धी)

• युद्धम्: war/battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• कार्यम्: task/matter
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• महत्तरम्: greater/more important
• महत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, 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

• Skanda
• Devas
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (dharma) often turns on divine intervention; discerning the true ‘greater task’ points to prioritizing dharma over fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it functions as a narrative prompt within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.