Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मुचुकुन्दबलेनैव जयमापुःसुरास्तदा । किं कर्तव्यं हि चास्माकं युध्यमानैर्निरंतरम्

Transliteration

mucukundabalenaiva jayamāpuḥsurāstadā | kiṃ kartavyaṃ hi cāsmākaṃ yudhyamānairniraṃtaram

Translation

Allein durch Mucukundas Kraft erlangten die Götter damals den Sieg. Doch da wir unablässig weiterkämpfen, was sollen wir nun wahrlich tun?

Word by Word

• मुचुकुन्द-बलेन: by Mucukunda’s strength
• मुचुकुन्द-बलेन: Hetu/Instrument (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुचुकुन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — neuter instrumental singular; ‘मुचुकुन्दस्य बलम्’ (by the strength of Mucukunda)

• एव: only / indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• आपुः: attained
• आपुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — perfect, 3rd person plural

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

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

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — interrogative pronoun (what?)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done / should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Karma-bhāva (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘to be done’

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

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

• अस्माकम्: of us / for us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन — genitive plural (1st person pronoun)

• युध्यमानैः: by/while (we are) fighting
• युध्यमानैः: Karta/Hetu (Agent/Condition)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु) → युध्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — present middle participle ‘while fighting’; instrumental plural (agent/condition)

• निरन्तरम्: continuously
• निरन्तरम्: Prakāra-adhikaraṇa (Manner/प्रकाराधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative used as indeclinable)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating the devas’ predicament (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/interlocutor (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas, weary yet dignified, gather in counsel after repeated battles; Mucukunda stands firm but the devas’ faces show concern. One deva raises a hand in questioning: ‘What now?’

Characters & Entities

• Mucukunda
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Endless struggle needs right guidance (nīti) and divine alignment; mere force is not a lasting solution without a dharmic plan.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the section’s sacred landscape, but this verse primarily presents the devas’ strategic dilemma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.