Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

मया शक्र परिज्ञातः स उपायो महाहवे । जीयन्ते शत्रवो येन लीलयैवापि भूरिशः

Transliteration

mayā śakra parijñātaḥ sa upāyo mahāhave | jīyante śatravo yena līlayaivāpi bhūriśaḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่ศักระ ข้าพเจ้าได้หยั่งรู้แล้วซึ่งอุบายในมหาสงคราม ที่ทำให้ศัตรูพ่ายแพ้ได้—แม้ประหนึ่งเป็นเพียงการละเล่น โอ้เจ้าแห่งฤทธิ์เดชยิ่ง

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) एकवचन; Instrumental singular of 1st person pronoun

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचन; Vocative singular

• परिज्ञातः: has been ascertained/known
• परिज्ञातः: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+ज्ञा (धातु) → परिज्ञात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; Passive past participle agreeing with ‘उपायः’

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उपायः: means/strategy
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular

• महाहवे: in the great battle
• महाहवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; Locative singular; समासः—महान्+आहवः (great battle)

• जीयन्ते: are defeated
• जीयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन; Present passive/ātmanepada form: ‘are conquered/are defeated’

• शत्रवः: enemies
• शत्रवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुं तृतीया एकवचन; Instrumental singular; relative pronoun

• लीलया: playfully, as a sport
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); emphatic

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); concessive/additive

• भूरिशः: abundantly, greatly
• भूरिशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूरिशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati, addressing Indra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A war-council moment: a speaker addresses Śakra (Indra), declaring he has found the decisive ‘means’ by which enemies fall as if in play; banners, weapons, and a charged sky suggest imminent battle.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Śakra (Indra)
• Enemies (Śatravaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When wisdom and dharma align, obstacles that seemed overwhelming can be overcome with surprising ease.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha appears in this verse; it continues the counsel episode within the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this shloka; it announces the discovery of a victorious method.