Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच । ह्ताव तं तारकं संख्ये देवानामजयं ततः । अवध्यं च द्विजश्रेष्ठाः कुमारो जयमाप्तवान्

Transliteration

lomaśa uvāca | htāva taṃ tārakaṃ saṃkhye devānāmajayaṃ tataḥ | avadhyaṃ ca dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ kumāro jayamāptavān

Translation

Lomaśa sprach: Nachdem Kumāra (Skanda) Tāraka in der Schlacht erschlagen hatte—ihn, den die Götter nicht bezwingen konnten und den man für unverwundbar hielt—errang er den Sieg, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen.

Word by Word

• लोमशः: Lomaśa
• लोमशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having slain’ (पाठे ‘ह्ताव’ = ‘हत्वा’)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तारकम्: Tāraka (demon)
• तारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (apposition to तम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अजयम्: unconquered, unconquerable
• अजयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तारकम्)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thereupon/then’

• अवध्यम्: not to be slain, invulnerable
• अवध्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तम्/तारकम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारयभावः: द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुमारः: Kumāra
• कुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्तवान्: obtained, attained
• आप्तवान्: Kriyā (verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (past active participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थे—लिट्/भूतार्थ (has obtained)

Speaker

Lomaśa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual listening-site)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka (addressed as dvija-śreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Battlefield tableau: Kumāra as youthful commander with spear (śakti/vel), radiant armor, leading divine hosts; Tāraka as formidable asura; the moment of decisive strike framed as dharma’s victory.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Tāraka
• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace empowers Dharma: even the ‘invincible’ falls when cosmic order is restored through the Lord’s son, Kumāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra region); this verse itself focuses on Kumāra’s victory rather than a single tirtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative praise (stuti/itihāsa) of Kumāra’s triumph.