Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच । बाष्कलिर्नाम देत्येन्द्रो हरलब्धवरो बली । अजेयः संगरे देवैस्तेनाहं विजितो रणे

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | bāṣkalirnāma detyendro haralabdhavaro balī | ajeyaḥ saṃgare devaistenāhaṃ vijito raṇe

Translation

शक्र (इंद्र) म्हणाला—‘बाष्कली नावाचा एक दैत्येंद्र आहे; हर (शिव) कडून वर मिळवून तो महाबली झाला आहे. देवांनीही संग्रामात ज्याला जिंकता येत नाही, त्या बाष्कलीने मला रणात पराभूत केले.’

Word by Word

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• bāṣkaliḥ: Bāṣkali (name of a demon)
• bāṣkaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṣkali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Appositional marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; nāma-śabdaḥ (particle indicating name/‘by name’)

• daityendraḥ: lord of the Daityas
• daityendraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (genitive determinative): ‘daityānām indraḥ’

• haralabdhavaraḥ: having obtained a boon from Hara (Śiva)
• haralabdhavaraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक) + labdha (कृदन्त; √labh) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: ‘harāt labdhaḥ varaḥ yasya’ (having a boon obtained from Hara)

• balī: mighty
• balī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; -inanta adjective

• ajeyaḥ: unconquerable
• ajeyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-jeya (प्रातिपदिक; nañ + jeya from √ji)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; nañ-samāsa (negation)

• saṃgare: in battle
• saṃgare: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/7th), Ekavacana

• devaiḥ: by the gods
• devaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/3rd), Ekavacana; sarvanāma

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana; sarvanāma

• vijitaḥ: defeated
• vijitaḥ: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-jita (कृदन्त; √ji)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle)

• raṇe: in war
• raṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/7th), Ekavacana

Speaker

Śakra (Indra/Vāsava)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, battle-worn and humbled, addresses Viṣṇu, describing the daitya-king Bāṣkali who, empowered by Śiva’s boon, has defeated the devas and seized svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Bāṣkali
• Daitya
• Hara (Śiva)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power and boons can destabilize the cosmos; dharma is restored when the righteous seek divine guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting is Śvetadvīpa (Viṣṇu’s refuge), though the verse itself focuses on the cosmic conflict.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces the cause that will lead to tapas (austerity) as the remedy.