Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10
Devanagari script
देवदानव युद्धं वा किं कार्यं वा महत्तरम्
Transliteration
devadānava yuddhaṃ vā kiṃ kāryaṃ vā mahattaram
Translation
Adakah itu peperangan antara para dewa dan kaum dānava, atau suatu urusan lain yang lebih besar?
Word by Word
देवदानवof gods and demons
देवदानव:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदेव + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासपूर्वपद-रूप; देवाश्च दानवाश्च (देव-दानव-सम्बन्धी)
युद्धम्war/battle
युद्धम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक
कार्यम्task/matter
कार्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)
महत्तरम्greater/more important
महत्तरम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, 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
S
SkandaD
DevasD
DānavasFAQs
Cosmic order (dharma) often turns on divine intervention; discerning the true ‘greater task’ points to prioritizing dharma over fear.
None in this verse; it functions as a narrative prompt within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya framework.
None.