Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कौटिल्यकोटिनाशी च यत्र रामः प्रकुप्यते । तत्र सर्वे प्रणश्यंति किं तत्कुमारपालकः

Transliteration

kauṭilyakoṭināśī ca yatra rāmaḥ prakupyate | tatra sarve praṇaśyaṃti kiṃ tatkumārapālakaḥ

Translation

جہاں رام غضبناک ہوتے ہیں وہاں کج روی اور تدبیروں کے کروڑوں جال بھی مٹ جاتے ہیں۔ وہاں سب فنا ہو جاتے ہیں—پھر ایک شہزادے کا معمولی نگہبان کیا کر سکتا ہے؟

Word by Word

• kauṭilya-koṭi-nāśī: destroyer of countless crookedness
• kauṭilya-koṭi-nāśī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kauṭilya (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (determinative; 'destroyer of crores of crookedness'), Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nom./1st), Ekavacana (Sg.); viśeṣaṇa of rāmaḥ

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa/saṃbandha-avyaya (relative adverb/यत्र)

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nom./1st), Ekavacana (Sg.)

• prakupyate: becomes angry
• prakupyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kup (धातु) with pra-
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana (Sg.), Ātmanepada

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (locative adverb)

• sarve: all (people)
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nom./1st), Bahuvacana (Pl.)

• praṇaśyanti: perish, are destroyed
• praṇaśyanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (धातु) with pra-
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Bahuvacana (Pl.), Parasmaipada

• kim: what (then)?
• kim: Prayojaka/Question particle (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Prathamā/Dvitīyā vibhakti (Nom./Acc.), Ekavacana (Sg.); interrogative used rhetorically

• tat-kumāra-pālakaḥ: that guardian of the prince/child
• tat-kumāra-pālakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक) + pālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (determinative; 'protector of that prince/child'), Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nom./1st), Ekavacana (Sg.)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a radiant, stern Rāma (or the force of ‘Rāma-kopa’) stands like a pillar of fire; around him, scrolls of policy, chess-like stratagem pieces, and schemers’ plans crumble; a small ‘kumārapālaka’ figure appears powerless.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No amount of cunning can overcome dharma; divine righteousness defeats even the most sophisticated worldly strategy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya context remains; this verse emphasizes moral power rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.