Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच तदा दैत्यजेयत्वं तवानघ । विनार्भकेण दत्तं वै ह्यर्भकस्त्वां विजेष्यते

Transliteration

brahmovāca tadā daityajeyatvaṃ tavānagha | vinārbhakeṇa dattaṃ vai hyarbhakastvāṃ vijeṣyate

Translation

Brahmā dit : «Ô Daitya sans tache, l’invincibilité t’est accordée—mais avec une exception : un simple enfant, en vérité, te vaincra».

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — perfect, 3rd person singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दैत्य-जेयत्वम्: (the state of) being conquerable by demons
• दैत्य-जेयत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जेयत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular; दैत्यैः जेयम् इति (daityaiḥ jeyam) ‘to be conquered by demons’

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन — genitive singular (2nd person pronoun)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th case), एकवचन — masculine vocative singular

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/निपात (preposition-like indeclinable) — governs तृतीया

• अर्भकेण: by a child
• अर्भकेण: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्भक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — masculine instrumental singular

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma-bhāva (Result/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle ‘given’ (agreeing with वरम्/जeyत्वम् understood)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for / indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

• अर्भकः: a child
• अर्भकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्भक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — accusative singular (2nd person pronoun)

• विजेष्यते: will conquer
• विजेष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — future, 3rd person singular; वि-उपसर्ग

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tāraka (Daitya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, seated on a lotus-throne, grants a boon to Tāraka but raises a finger to state the exception: ‘defeated by a child.’ Tāraka stands with folded hands, eyes bright with ambition; devas watch anxiously from the side.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine gifts operate within cosmic balance; even great power is bounded so that adharma can be checked and dharma restored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; the Kedārakhaṇḍa frame ultimately supports the Shaiva sacred geography of Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.