Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

न च ते विजयं प्रापुस्तथापि द्विजसत्तमाः । दानवेभ्यो महायुद्धे प्रहारैर्जर्जरीकृताः

Transliteration

na ca te vijayaṃ prāpustathāpi dvijasattamāḥ | dānavebhyo mahāyuddhe prahārairjarjarīkṛtāḥ

Translation

ତଥାପି, ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ସେମାନେ ବିଜୟ ପାଇଲେ ନାହିଁ; ସେଇ ମହାଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ଦାନବମାନଙ୍କ ପ୍ରହାରରେ ସେମାନେ ଚୁର୍ଣ୍ଣବିଚୁର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

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

• te: of you / your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• vijayam: victory
• vijayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• prāpus: obtained
• prāpus: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tathāpi: even then / nevertheless
• tathāpi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (adverbial: ‘even so’), ‘तथा’ (thus) + ‘अपि’ (even)

• dvijasattamāḥ: the best of the Brahmins
• dvijasattamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘द्विजानां सत्तमाः’ (best among the twice-born)

• dānavebhyaḥ: from the Dānavas (demons)
• dānavebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative, 5th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• mahāyuddhe: in the great battle
• mahāyuddhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः: ‘महच्च तत् युद्धम्’ (great battle)

• prahāraiḥ: by blows/strikes
• prahāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• jarjarīkṛtāḥ: shattered / broken
• jarjarīkṛtāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jarjarī + √kṛ (कृ) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘jarjarīkṛta’ = made shattered

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical Sūta frame; not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shattered deva host on a smoky battlefield, armor dented, banners torn, as Dānavas press forward with heavy maces and spears; the devas regroup in distress.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija-sattama (sages/audience)
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human (or divine) effort alone may fail when grace is withheld; outcomes teach humility and the need for higher refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.