Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

पुनरेकश्च समयः कृतस्तं शृणु यस्तया । यो मां निरुत्तरां प्रश्ने कृत्वैव विजयेत्पुमान्

Transliteration

punarekaśca samayaḥ kṛtastaṃ śṛṇu yastayā | yo māṃ niruttarāṃ praśne kṛtvaiva vijayetpumān

Translation

Hear also another condition she established: any man who could defeat me by rendering me speechless with a question would be victorious.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• समयः: agreement; condition
• समयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृतः: made
• कृतः: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (past passive participle: 'made')

• तम्: that (it)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Kriyā (Imperative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• निरुत्तराम्: without an answer; unanswerable
• निरुत्तराम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (अ-प्रत्ययान्त)

• प्रश्ने: in (a) question; in the matter of a question
• प्रश्ने: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• विजयेत्: should conquer; would win
• विजयेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) उपसर्ग वि-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formidable woman (Maurvī/Śakti-figure) proclaims a condition: victory belongs to the one who can defeat her by making her speechless through a question; surrounding figures listen in tense anticipation.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmākhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is not only physical; wisdom and mastery in questioning are portrayed as decisive forms of victory.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The condition is tied to Kāmākhyā’s legendary sphere, reinforcing the site’s fame through extraordinary trials.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes a vowed condition (samaya) rather than a ritual.