Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तदा स तारकः प्राह ब्रह्माणं प्रणतः प्रभो । कृतार्थोऽहं हि देवेश प्रसादात्तव संप्रति

Transliteration

tadā sa tārakaḥ prāha brahmāṇaṃ praṇataḥ prabho | kṛtārtho'haṃ hi deveśa prasādāttava saṃprati

Translation

Da sprach Tāraka, vor Brahmā niedergebeugt: »O Herr, o Gott der Götter, durch deine Gnade ist mein Ziel nun erfüllt.«

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular (pronoun)

• तारकः: Tāraka
• तारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — perfect, 3rd person singular

• ब्रह्माणम्: to Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• प्रणतः: bowed down
• प्रणतः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नम् (धातु) → प्रणत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — past participle used adjectivally ‘bowed’; agrees with सः/तारकः

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th case), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular

• कृतार्थः: fulfilled / successful
• कृतार्थः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; ‘कृतः अर्थः यस्य’ (one whose purpose is accomplished)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — nominative singular (1st person pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• देवेश: O lord of the gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th case), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular; ‘देवानाम् ईशः’ (lord of gods)

• प्रसादात्: from (your) grace
• प्रसादात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन — masculine ablative singular

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन — genitive singular

• संप्रति: now / at present
• संप्रति: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संप्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Tāraka (addressing Brahmā)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (addressed), audience of the Purāṇa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tāraka bows deeply before Brahmā, palms joined; Brahmā remains composed, granting gaze steady. The contrast: devotional posture with ambitious eyes.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Achievement without righteousness can become a cause of downfall; gratitude alone does not sanctify an adhārmic goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it remains within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s larger Kedāra-oriented sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.