Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

तथावदन्मया सार्द्धं रावणस्तपसो बलात् । मया च याचितान्येव दश वक्त्राणि धीमता

Transliteration

tathāvadanmayā sārddhaṃ rāvaṇastapaso balāt | mayā ca yācitānyeva daśa vaktrāṇi dhīmatā

Translation

Während ich so sprach, trat Rāvaṇa kraft seiner Askese hervor; und der Weise begehrte von mir zehn Gesichter.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• अवदत्: spoke
• अवदत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Instrumental, Singular)

• सार्द्धम्: together with
• सार्द्धम्: Sahārtha (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्ययम् (with)

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• बलात्: by the power (from the force)
• बलात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-एकवचनम् (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Instrumental, Singular)

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

• याचितानि: requested
• याचितानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √याच् (धातु) → याचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (requested)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• दश: ten
• दश: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम् (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• वक्त्राणि: faces/mouths
• वक्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• धीमता: by the wise one
• धीमता: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Nandin (to the Devas/Suras)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/assembly implied by address in adjacent verse; also Brahman interlocutor in frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage speaks; Rāvaṇa appears empowered by tapas, radiant yet intense, requesting ‘ten faces’—a visual foreshadowing of his later identity.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Nandin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity can generate great power, but what one seeks with that power (boons, status) determines whether it leads toward dharma or downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is embedded in Kedārakhaṇḍa’s glorification of Kedāra, framing even epic figures within the sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; it references tapas (austerity) as a spiritual practice.