Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

यथा राहुशिरस्तद्वत्तच्छिरः प्रणनाम तान् । उवाच च दिदृक्षामि युद्धं तदनुमन्यताम्

Transliteration

yathā rāhuśirastadvattacchiraḥ praṇanāma tān | uvāca ca didṛkṣāmi yuddhaṃ tadanumanyatām

Translation

ರಾಹುವಿನ ಶಿರಸ್ಸಿನಂತೆ ಆ ಶಿರಸ್ಸು ಕೂಡ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಣಾಮ ಮಾಡಿ ಹೇಳಿತು—“ಯುದ್ಧವನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು ಇಚ್ಛಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ; ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಅನುಮತಿ ನೀಡಿ.”

Word by Word

• yathā: as/just like
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative ‘as/like’)

• rāhu-śiraḥ: Rāhu’s head
• rāhu-śiraḥ: Karta (Subject of comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāhu (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘राहोः शिरः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• tadvat: likewise
• tadvat: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘in that manner/likewise’)

• tat-śiraḥ: that head
• tat-śiraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तत् शिरः’ (determinative)

• praṇanāma: bowed down
• praṇanāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• didṛkṣāmi: I wish to see
• didṛkṣāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; इच्छार्थक (desiderative stem)

• yuddham: battle
• yuddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (refers to yuddham)

• anumanyatām: let it be permitted/approved
• anumanyatām: Kriya (Injunctive request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√man (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थ/अनुज्ञा (let it be permitted)

Speaker

Revived devotee’s head (implied speaker within the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A miraculous severed-yet-living head, reminiscent of Rāhu, bows before divine figures; its expression is eager yet respectful as it requests permission to witness the battle.

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu
• Caṇḍikā Devī (context)
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after receiving grace, humility remains: the devotee bows and seeks consent, showing dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative request and permission-seeking.