Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

मुचुकुन्दं समासाद्य लोकपालैश्च पूजितः । न त्वया भीरुणा योत्स्ये देवो भूत्वा नराश्रितः

Transliteration

mucukundaṃ samāsādya lokapālaiśca pūjitaḥ | na tvayā bhīruṇā yotsye devo bhūtvā narāśritaḥ

Translation

„Da ich mich König Mucukunda genähert habe – der sogar von den Hütern der Welten geehrt wird – werde ich nicht mit dir kämpfen, einem Feigling, während ich, obwohl ein Gott, Zuflucht in einem menschlichen Zustand gesucht habe.“

Word by Word

• मुचुकुन्दम्: Mucukunda
• मुचुकुन्दम्: Karma (Object of समासाद्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुचुकुन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक (having approached)

• लोकपालैः: by the guardians of the worlds
• लोकपालैः: Karta (Agent of passive in पूजितः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• पूजितः: honoured/worshipped
• पूजितः: Kriyā (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (he) ‘having been worshipped’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in instrumental: ‘by you’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भीरुणा: cowardly
• भीरुणा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of त्वया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of त्वया)

• योत्स्ये: I will fight
• योत्स्ये: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future); उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• देवः: a god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक (having become)

• नराश्रितः: resorting to a human (form)
• नराश्रितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of देवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘resorted to’; विशेषण (of देवः)

Speaker

Tārakāsura (deduced from context of the Devas preparing to fight Tāraka and his taunting speech)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/Indra (indirectly, via Nārada’s narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful figure (asura or adversary speaker) declares he will approach Mucukunda, revered by lokapālas, and refuses to fight a ‘coward’ while in a human-dependent condition; juxtapose divine armor with human court imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Mucukunda
• Lokapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and cowardice distort dharma; true valor aligns with righteous purpose rather than taunting speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Kedāra-khaṇḍa (Kedārakṣetra’s sacred region), though this verse itself is martial dialogue rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a narrative statement within the Deva–Asura conflict.