Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

तदा वयं घातयामस्तारकं सह बांधवैः । अचलोहं विपक्षश्च किं कार्यं करवाणि व

Transliteration

tadā vayaṃ ghātayāmastārakaṃ saha bāṃdhavaiḥ | acalohaṃ vipakṣaśca kiṃ kāryaṃ karavāṇi va

Translation

„Hätten wir wahrhaft die nötige Stütze, so würden wir Tāraka samt seinen Verwandten erschlagen. Doch ich bin ein Berg—unbeweglich—und in dieser Sache gleichsam auf der Gegenseite; welche Tat kann ich denn wirklich vollbringen?“

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• घातयामः: we will cause to be slain / we will slay
• घातयामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (णिच् causative of हन्/घात्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘cause to kill’)

• तारकम्: Tāraka
• तारकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (postposition ‘with’)

• बान्धवैः: with (his) kinsmen
• बान्धवैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अचलः: the mountain (I)
• अचलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विपक्षः: an opposing side/party
• विपक्षः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (interrogative)

• कार्यम्: task/duty
• कार्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करवाणि: should I do
• करवाणि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• व: indeed/or
• व: Connector/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; alternative/emphasis, often ‘or/indeed’)

Speaker

Himavān (Himālaya) (as reported by Lomaśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himālaya / Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān, serene and massive, acknowledges his immovable nature; the Devas listen as he frames his limitation and asks what action is possible for a mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Himavān (Himālaya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing one’s role and limits is part of dharma; effective action requires appropriate capacity and means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himālaya is foregrounded as sacred personified geography; no single tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.