Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

एतदिंद्रेण कर्तव्यमिंद्रो हि विपुलं बलम् । त्वं चेंद्रो भव नो वीर तारकं जहि ते नमः

Transliteration

etadiṃdreṇa kartavyamiṃdro hi vipulaṃ balam | tvaṃ ceṃdro bhava no vīra tārakaṃ jahi te namaḥ

Translation

„Dies ist es, was Indra zu tun hat, denn Indra ist gewaltige Kraft. Und auch du, o Held, werde für uns Indra — erschlage Tāraka. Verehrung sei dir!“

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (task/thing)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इन्द्रेण: by Indra
• इन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done, should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive: 'to be done')

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/indeed)

• विपुलम्: great, abundant
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बलम्: strength, power
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भव: become
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तारकम्: Tāraka (the demon)
• तारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• जहि: slay
• जहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोगः; अव्ययीभाव-प्राय (indeclinable interjection used with dative)

Speaker

Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas addressing Skanda with urgency: Indra’s insignia (vajra, elephant Airāvata) present; Skanda radiant, youthful warrior, vel in hand; the name ‘Tāraka’ invoked as looming demonic threat in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Skanda
• Tāraka
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When cosmic order is threatened, divine leadership is invoked for the protection of dharma and the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified; the verse belongs to the martial-theological episode of Tāraka’s defeat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a plea for protection and victory, expressed through salutations.