Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

शक्त्या तया महाबाहुराजघान स्तनांतरे । तारकं ह्यसुरश्रेष्ठं कुमारो बलवत्तरः

Transliteration

śaktyā tayā mahābāhurājaghāna stanāṃtare | tārakaṃ hyasuraśreṣṭhaṃ kumāro balavattaraḥ

Translation

Mit jenem heiligen Speer (Śakti) traf der großarmige Kumāra Tāraka, den Besten der Asuras, mitten zwischen die Brüste. Denn Kumāra, noch mächtiger, schlug den Ersten der Asuras nieder.

Word by Word

• शक्त्या: with a spear/weapon (śakti)
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• तया: with that
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; विशेषण (शक्त्या)

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed one
• महाबाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक; महा + बाहु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• आजघान: struck/slew
• आजघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्तनान्तरे: in the middle of the chest/between the breasts
• स्तनान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तनान्तर (प्रातिपदिक; स्तन + अन्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• तारकम्: Tāraka
• तारकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• असुरश्रेष्ठम्: the best of the Asuras
• असुरश्रेष्ठम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असुरश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; असुर + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषण (तारकम्)

• कुमारः: Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• बलवत्तरः: stronger
• बलवत्तरः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (तुलनात्मक/Comparative) — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; comparative degree

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kumāra (Skanda), radiant and youthful, hurls a spear that strikes Tāraka in the chest; the battlefield is ringed by devas and siddhas, with Himalayan peaks suggested in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Tāraka
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s grace empowers dharmic strength to overcome even the ‘foremost’ of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly within Kedāra Khaṇḍa’s sacred setting; this verse itself is martial narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.