Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । ते चैनं योज्य चाशीर्भिरयाचंत वरं गुहम् । एष एव वरोऽस्माकं यत्पापं तारकं जहि

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | te cainaṃ yojya cāśīrbhirayācaṃta varaṃ guham | eṣa eva varo'smākaṃ yatpāpaṃ tārakaṃ jahi

Translation

Nārada dit : Après l’avoir dûment établi et l’avoir béni, ils demandèrent une grâce à Guha : « Voici notre seule grâce : abats Tāraka, le pécheur. »

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• enam: him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yojya: having joined/appointed
• yojya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √yuj (युज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• āśīrbhiḥ: with blessings
• āśīrbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ayācan: they requested
• ayācan: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yāc (याच् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• guham: Guha
• guham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• varaḥ: boon
• varaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asmākam: of us, our
• asmākam: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• yat: that (namely)
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-शब्दः (relative pronoun used as conjunction; correlates with 'eṣa')

• pāpam: sin, evil
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tārakam: Tāraka (the demon)
• tārakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (Tāraka)

• jahi: slay
• jahi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada narrates as devas and sages, having blessed and appointed Guha, request the single boon: the slaying of Tāraka; Skanda stands poised, youthful yet formidable, spear in hand.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Tāraka
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rises, the devas seek divine leadership; the righteous warrior (Guha) is invoked to restore cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the verse centers on the mythic mandate to destroy Tāraka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies āśīrvāda (blessing) and formal appointment (yojana) of the divine commander, not a specific vrata or tīrtha-rite.