Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

व्यर्थतां जग्मुरस्त्राणि देवानां दानवं प्रति । यथातिक्रूरचित्तानामार्ये कृत्यशतान्यपि

Transliteration

vyarthatāṃ jagmurastrāṇi devānāṃ dānavaṃ prati | yathātikrūracittānāmārye kṛtyaśatānyapi

Translation

ଦାନବ ପ୍ରତି ଦେବମାନଙ୍କର ଅସ୍ତ୍ରଗୁଡ଼ିକ ବ୍ୟର୍ଥ ହୋଇଗଲା; ଯେପରି ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ କ୍ରୂରଚିତ୍ତ ଲୋକଙ୍କ ପାଖରେ ଆର୍ୟଙ୍କ ଶତଶତ ସତ୍ପ୍ରୟାସ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିଷ୍ଫଳ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• व्यर्थताम्: futility
• व्यर्थताम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative singular)

• जग्मुः: went/turned into
• जग्मुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd person plural)

• अस्त्राणि: weapons
• अस्त्राणि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative plural)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive plural)

• दानवम्: the demon
• दानवम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative singular)

• प्रति: against
• प्रति: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (indeclinable preposition: ‘towards/against’)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/दृष्टान्तवाचक (indeclinable: ‘as/just as’)

• अति-क्रूर-चित्तानाम्: of the very cruel-minded
• अति-क्रूर-चित्तानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Masculine, Genitive plural; ‘of those whose minds are very cruel’)

• आर्ये: towards/in the noble (person)
• आर्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative singular)

• कृत्य-शतानि: hundreds of deeds
• कृत्य-शतानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थे तत्पुरुषः (Neuter, Nom./Acc. plural; ‘hundreds of acts/deeds’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (particle: ‘even/also’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (contextual attribution for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divine missiles dissolve or fall harmlessly, their radiance extinguished before reaching the dānava; the scene overlays a moral tableau—wise figures offering gifts/counsel to a hard-hearted man who turns away unmoved.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty and entrenched adharma nullify even strong remedies; transformation requires higher grace and inner change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it offers a moral analogy within the battle narrative.