Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

दिनसप्तकवान्भूत्वा तारकं स हनिष्यति । इति वाक्यं तु ते श्रुत्वा मंदरं लोकसुंदरम्

Transliteration

dinasaptakavānbhūtvā tārakaṃ sa haniṣyati | iti vākyaṃ tu te śrutvā maṃdaraṃ lokasuṃdaram

Translation

Lorsqu’il aura sept jours d’âge, il abattra Tāraka. Ayant entendu ces paroles, ils se tournèrent vers Mandara, la beauté des mondes.

Word by Word

• दिनसप्तकवान्: seven-days-old (of seven days)
• दिनसप्तकवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक) + सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्विगु-आधारः: दिनानां सप्तकं यस्य, तद्वान्)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• तारकम्: Tāraka (the demon)
• तारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हनिष्यति: will kill
• हनिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यादि-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• मन्दरम्: Mandara (mountain/name)
• मन्दरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लोकसुन्दरम्: beautiful in the world/world-beautiful
• लोकसुन्दरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: लोकस्य सुन्दरम्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandarācala (within the narrative frame of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like moment: devas, having heard the prophecy that the divine child will slay Tāraka at seven days, turn their gaze toward the luminous Mandara mountain, preparing to journey for Śiva’s darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tāraka
• Mandara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine timing is precise: even overwhelming evil is ended when the destined protector arises and the faithful turn toward Śiva for refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mandara (Mandarācala) is highlighted as a world-beautifying sacred mountain associated with approaching Śiva for darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the narrative implies pilgrimage/seeking darśana as the devas move toward Mandara.