Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । ब्रह्मन्केन प्रकारेण दैत्यानां वधमेव च । करोम्यद्य उपायं हि कथ्यतां शीघ्रमेव मे

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | brahmankena prakāreṇa daityānāṃ vadhameva ca | karomyadya upāyaṃ hi kathyatāṃ śīghrameva me

Translation

Para Dewa berkata: Wahai Brahman, dengan cara apakah kami dapat membunuh para Daitya? Beritahukanlah segera kepadaku cara yang dapat kulakukan hari ini.

Word by Word

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• brahman: O Brahman (O Brahmā)
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• kena: by what/with what
• kena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• prakāreṇa: by what method
• prakāreṇa: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• daityānām: of the Daityas
• daityānām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• vadham: slaying
• vadham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (only/indeed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• karomi: I do/shall do
• karomi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• upāyam: means/strategy
• upāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (for/indeed)

• kathyatām: let it be told
• kathyatām: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ्) (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘let it be told’

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: quickly)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (just/indeed)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग (pronoun), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

Speaker

Devas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas speak in a formal petition: hands folded, one deva slightly forward as spokesperson; Brahmā listens attentively, poised to instruct. The scene conveys urgency restrained by reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brahmā
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is endangered, decisive action should be guided by higher wisdom rather than impulse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it introduces a counsel-seeking dialogue that frames the forthcoming sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for upāya (means/strategy) in a cosmic crisis.