Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तदहं तव वाक्येन संस्थितात्र तपोधन । गुहेनाथ सरः पुण्यं पालयिष्याम्यतंद्रिता

Transliteration

tadahaṃ tava vākyena saṃsthitātra tapodhana | guhenātha saraḥ puṇyaṃ pālayiṣyāmyataṃdritā

Translation

«Ainsi, selon ta parole, ô trésor d’ascèse, je demeurerai ici. Avec Guha pour Seigneur, je protégerai sans relâche ce lac sacré.»

Word by Word

• तत्: therefore/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse deictic/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; वाक्योपसंहारार्थ (that/therefore)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वाक्येन: by (your) word/command
• वाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• संस्थिता: stationed/settled
• संस्थिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव (having stood/being stationed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तपोधन: O treasure of austerity (sage)
• तपोधन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गुहेन: by/with the cave
• गुहेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• सरः: the lake
• सरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सरः)

• पालयिष्यामि: I will protect/maintain
• पालयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अतन्द्रिता: unwearied/without negligence
• अतन्द्रिता: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त विशेषण (not negligent)

Speaker

Devī (in dialogue; addressing Nārada as tapodhana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guheśvara/Guha-nātha Saras (pūṇya-saras)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tapodhana (ascetic addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred lake (saras) with lotus blooms; a devout figure (the speaker) takes a vow of residence and guardianship; Guha’s presence is suggested by a spear (śakti/vel) emblem or a small shrine on the bank.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Guha (Skanda/Kumāra)
• Puṇya-saras (sacred lake)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is sustained by divine guardianship; devotion to Skanda (Guha) and Devī supports sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A puṇya-saras (holy lake/pond) associated with Guha and the Rudrāṇī-kūpa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it is a divine vow establishing ongoing protection and sanctity of the waters.