Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गालव उवाच । पुरा दैवासुरे युद्धे दानवा बलदर्पिताः । देवान्निजघ्नुः संग्रामे घोररूपाः सुदारुणाः

Transliteration

gālava uvāca | purā daivāsure yuddhe dānavā baladarpitāḥ | devānnijaghnuḥ saṃgrāme ghorarūpāḥ sudāruṇāḥ

Translation

伽罗婆说道：久远以前，在天神与阿修罗的大战中，檀那婆众因力与傲慢而沉醉，于战场上击倒诸天，形貌可怖，凶猛至极。

Word by Word

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दैवासुरे: (in) the deva-and-asura (war)
• दैवासुरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; युद्धे इति विशेषण (locative agreement)

• युद्धे: in the war
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दानवाः: the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• बलदर्पिताः: intoxicated with strength
• बलदर्पिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल + दर्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) दर्पित (√दृप्)

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• निजघ्नुः: slew/struck down
• निजघ्नुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• घोररूपाः: of terrible form
• घोररूपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; दानवाः इति विशेषण

• सुदारुणाः: very fierce
• सुदारुणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; दानवाः इति विशेषण

Speaker

Gālava

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Paijavana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce battlefield where towering Dānavas overwhelm the devas; broken chariots, swirling dust, and darkened sky foreshadow divine intervention.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Dānavas
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride in power leads to downfall and disorder, setting the stage for refuge in dharma and divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it serves as narrative groundwork within the broader Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this is narrative background.