Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

पुण्याहं मुनिभिः सर्वैः कारितास्ते तदा सुराः । देवानां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थमसुराणां क्षयाय च

Transliteration

puṇyāhaṃ munibhiḥ sarvaiḥ kāritāste tadā surāḥ | devānāṃ kāryasiddhyarthamasurāṇāṃ kṣayāya ca

Translation

Dann ließen alle Weisen die Götter das glückverheißende «Puṇyāha»-Ritual vollziehen, damit das Vorhaben der Devas gelinge und die Asuras zugrunde gingen.

Word by Word

• पुण्याहम्: auspicious rite/day
• पुण्याहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पुण्यं अहः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘auspicious day/rite’

• मुनिभिः: by sages
• मुनिभिः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; मुनिभिः इति विशेषणम्

• कारिताः: were caused to perform
• कारिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: णिजन्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (causative PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘made to do/caused to be performed’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• कार्य-सिद्धि-अर्थम्: for accomplishing the task
• कार्य-सिद्धि-अर्थम्: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य सिद्धिः; तस्य अर्थम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• असुराणाम्: of the demons
• असुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• क्षयाय: for destruction
• क्षयाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for destruction)

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced; Māheśvara Khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi assembly / tīrtha audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages directs devas to undertake a puṇyāha rite: vessels of water, kuśa, flowers, and svasti inscriptions; devas stand reverently, asuras symbolically recede; Kedāra’s sacred landscape frames the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Munis/Ṛṣis
• Devas
• Asuras
• Puṇyāha (rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and auspicious consecration (puṇyāha) are presented as supports for righteous success and the removal of adharmic forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kedāra Khaṇḍa, within the Skanda Purāṇa’s Kedāra sacred narrative environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Puṇyāha: an auspicious rite/benediction performed under sage-guidance to ensure kārya-siddhi (successful completion of the intended work).