Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

असमर्थो ह्यहं तात कृतोऽनेन महात्मना । तदोवाच बलिं सोऽपि तार्क्ष्यपुत्रो महामनाः

Transliteration

asamartho hyahaṃ tāta kṛto'nena mahātmanā | tadovāca baliṃ so'pi tārkṣyaputro mahāmanāḥ

Translation

'Tuan, oleh Jiwa Agung ini aku telah dibuat tak berdaya.' Kemudian putra Tarkshya (Garuda) yang berjiwa mulia berbicara kepada Bali.

Word by Word

• असमर्थः: incapable
• असमर्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

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

• तात: O dear/father
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• कृतः: made (into)
• कृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘made’

• अनेन: by this (person)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; ‘महान् आत्मा’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बलिम्: to Bali (Bali as object)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• तार्क्ष्यपुत्रः: son of Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• तार्क्ष्यपुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘तार्क्ष्यस्य पुत्रः’

• महामनाः: great-minded
• महामनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘महान् मनः यस्य सः’

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) describing Garuḍa addressing Bali

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa admits his powerlessness before the great-souled One; his posture shifts from admonition to humbled acknowledgment; Bali listens intently.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Garuḍa (Tārkṣyaputra)
• Vāmana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mighty become powerless when confronted by divine resolve; dharma unfolds through instruments like Garuḍa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred region), though this line itself is narrative rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly here; it supports the broader dharma-theme of honoring vows and divine order.