Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

न तारको हन्यते मानुषेण तस्मादेतन्मा विमोचीर्महास्त्रम्

Transliteration

na tārako hanyate mānuṣeṇa tasmādetanmā vimocīrmahāstram

Translation

„Tāraka kann nicht von einem Menschen getötet werden; darum entfessle diese große Waffe nicht.“

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• तारकः: Tāraka
• तारकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हन्यते: is killed
• हन्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• मानुषेण: by a human
• मानुषेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; instrumental ‘by a human’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; used adverbially ‘therefore/from that’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative ‘this’

• मा: do not
• मा: Prohibition marker (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• विमोचीः: release/let go
• विमोचीः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; prohibitive with मा

• महा-अस्त्रम्: the great weapon
• महा-अस्त्रम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महास्त्र = ‘great weapon’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (devarṣi, son of Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mucukunda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, composed, blocks the imminent release of a blazing Brahmāstra; the weapon’s radiance is shown contained, as if held back by the sage’s word.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Tāraka
• Brahmāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restraint is dharma: immense power (mahāstra) should not be used when it violates divine conditions or leads to needless destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa setting situates the episode within Kedāra’s Mahātmya tradition, though the verse is primarily doctrinal (about boons and limits).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is ethical and strategic—do not discharge the weapon.