Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । अलं ते तपसा वत्स मा क्लेशे विस्तरे विश । पुत्रस्ते तारकोनाम भविष्यति महाबलः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | alaṃ te tapasā vatsa mā kleśe vistare viśa | putraste tārakonāma bhaviṣyati mahābalaḥ

Translation

Brahmā sprach: „Genug, mein Kind, deiner Askese; stürze dich nicht in langes Leid. Dir wird ein Sohn geboren werden, Tāraka genannt, von gewaltiger Kraft.“

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• alam: enough
• alam: Prayojana/Modality (Enoughness/पर्याप्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अलम् अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/पर्याप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (enough/sufficient)

• te: for you / your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (त्वद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (तपस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• vatsa: dear child
• vatsa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (वत्स प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (मा अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• kleśe: in hardship, in suffering
• kleśe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kleśa (क्लेश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• vistare: in prolongation, in extension
• vistare: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (विस्तर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• viśa: O Viśa (O king)
• viśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśa (विश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; दैत्यराज-सम्बोधन

• putraḥ: a son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (पुत्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (त्वद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tārakaḥ: Tāraka
• tārakaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka (तारक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Viśeṣaṇa (Naming marker/नामसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (नामन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable used as ‘named/called’)

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahā-balaḥ: very strong, mighty
• mahā-balaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (महा) + bala (बल) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahac ca balaṃ ca → mahābalaḥ)

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā speaks gently yet authoritatively: ‘Enough of tapas’; the Daitya king listens as a prophecy of a mighty son named Tāraka is pronounced.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas bears fruit according to divine ordinance; yet Purāṇas also caution that power gained by boons must be governed by dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a boon-and-prophecy moment within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The only practice referenced is tapas, which Brahmā asks the Daitya to stop, indicating the boon is already granted.