Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

मुचुकुन्दं समासाद्य लोकपालैश्च पूजितः । न त्वया भीरुणा योत्स्ये देवो भूत्वा नराश्रितः

Transliteration

mucukundaṃ samāsādya lokapālaiśca pūjitaḥ | na tvayā bhīruṇā yotsye devo bhūtvā narāśritaḥ

Translation

「世界の守護神たちにさえ崇められるムチュクンダ王のもとへ赴いた今、臆病者の貴様とは戦わぬ。神でありながら、人間の境涯に身を寄せているのだからな。」

Word by Word

• मुचुकुन्दम्: Mucukunda
• मुचुकुन्दम्: Karma (Object of समासाद्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुचुकुन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक (having approached)

• लोकपालैः: by the guardians of the worlds
• लोकपालैः: Karta (Agent of passive in पूजितः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• पूजितः: honoured/worshipped
• पूजितः: Kriyā (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (he) ‘having been worshipped’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in instrumental: ‘by you’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भीरुणा: cowardly
• भीरुणा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of त्वया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of त्वया)

• योत्स्ये: I will fight
• योत्स्ये: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future); उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• देवः: a god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyā (Pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक (having become)

• नराश्रितः: resorting to a human (form)
• नराश्रितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of देवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘resorted to’; विशेषण (of देवः)

Speaker

Tārakāsura (deduced from context of the Devas preparing to fight Tāraka and his taunting speech)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/Indra (indirectly, via Nārada’s narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful figure (asura or adversary speaker) declares he will approach Mucukunda, revered by lokapālas, and refuses to fight a ‘coward’ while in a human-dependent condition; juxtapose divine armor with human court imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Mucukunda
• Lokapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and cowardice distort dharma; true valor aligns with righteous purpose rather than taunting speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Kedāra-khaṇḍa (Kedārakṣetra’s sacred region), though this verse itself is martial dialogue rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a narrative statement within the Deva–Asura conflict.