Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

यथा सिंहो मदोन्मत्तो हंतुकामस्तथैव च । कुमारस्तारकं दैत्यमाजघान प्रतापवान्

Transliteration

yathā siṃho madonmatto haṃtukāmastathaiva ca | kumārastārakaṃ daityamājaghāna pratāpavān

Translation

Tel un lion ivre d’ardeur, avide de tuer, ainsi le puissant et vaillant Kumāra frappa le daitya Tāraka avec éclat.

Word by Word

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• सिंहः: a lion
• सिंहः: Karta (Subject of simile/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• मदोन्मत्तः: maddened with rut/intoxication
• मदोन्मत्तः: Karta (Qualifier in simile/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदोन्मत्त (प्रातिपदिक; मद + उन्मत्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण (सिंहः)

• हन्तुकामः: desiring to kill
• हन्तुकामः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्तुकाम (प्रातिपदिक; हन्तु (√हन् तुमुन्) + काम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण (सिंहः/कुमारः)

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Correlation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

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

• कुमारः: Kumāra
• कुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• तारकम्: Tāraka
• तारकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• दैत्यम्: the Daitya (demon)
• दैत्यम्: Karman (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; (तारकम्) विशेषण/अप्पोज़िशन

• आजघान: struck/slew
• आजघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty/valorous
• प्रतापवान्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण (कुमारः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kumāra, eyes blazing, advances like an intoxicated lion and delivers a crushing blow to Tāraka; dust and light flare as the demon staggers toward defeat.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Tāraka
• Siṃha (lion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power manifests to remove adharma; righteous valor (kṣātra-dharma) becomes sacred when aligned with cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative sits within Kedāra-khaṇḍa, thus tied to Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra’s sacred geography, even when the verse focuses on the battle episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a martial description within the Mahātmya narrative frame.