Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

प्रहस्य नारदो वाक्यमुवाच तस्य सन्निधौ । अहमप्युपहासं च वाक्यं तारकमुक्तवान्

Transliteration

prahasya nārado vākyamuvāca tasya sannidhau | ahamapyupahāsaṃ ca vākyaṃ tārakamuktavān

Translation

Lächelnd sprach Nārada in seiner Gegenwart: „Auch ich habe Tāraka spöttische Worte zugerufen.“

Word by Word

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सन्निधौ: in the presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• उपहासम्: mockery, jest
• उपहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वाक्यम्: a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तारकम्: Tāraka
• तारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• उक्तवान्: (he) spoke/said
• उक्तवान्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, smiling, admits he spoke mocking words to Tāraka—revealing intentional provocation in the presence of the questioned deity and the assembled gods.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Words can be used as skillful means in defense of dharma, especially under the guidance of sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-khaṇḍa context relates to Kedārakṣetra; this line is part of the war-narrative rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.