Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

नित्यं पराजयो जज्ञे देवानां दानवैः सह । तत्रोवाच गुरुः शक्र मा युद्धं कुरु देवप

Transliteration

nityaṃ parājayo jajñe devānāṃ dānavaiḥ saha | tatrovāca guruḥ śakra mā yuddhaṃ kuru devapa

Translation

دانَووں کے ساتھ لڑائی میں دیوتاؤں کو بار بار شکست ہوتی رہی۔ تب گرو نے شکر سے کہا، “اے دیوپتی، یہ جنگ نہ کرو۔”

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘सदा/निरन्तरम्’

• पराजयः: defeat
• पराजयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जज्ञे: occurred/was born (happened)
• जज्ञे: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• दानवैः: with the demons (Dānavas)
• दानवैः: Sahakāraka/Instrument (Association/सह-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Comitative marker/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सह/with) उपसर्गार्थक-निपात

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गुरुः: the teacher (Bṛhaspati)
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/Prohibitive particle)

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवप: O lord of the gods
• देवप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (पाठभ्रंश/अपूर्ण—सम्भाव्य ‘देवपते/देवप’ = ‘देवाधिप’)

Speaker

Guru of the Devas (Bṛhaspati, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Amid a losing battle, Indra pauses as his guru (Bṛhaspati) raises a calming hand, advising him to desist; devas appear weary, the battlefield dimmed.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Dānavas
• Śakra (Indra)
• Guru (Bṛhaspati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes restraint: when violence leads only to ruin, wise counsel recommends stepping back and seeking a higher resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned; the verse is strategic counsel within the chapter’s narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an instruction of conduct (nīti/dharma) rather than a ritual.