Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तस्याहं संयुगे साध्यो येनोपायेन शङ्कर । भवामि न सदा कालं तं वदस्व वरं मम

Transliteration

tasyāhaṃ saṃyuge sādhyo yenopāyena śaṅkara | bhavāmi na sadā kālaṃ taṃ vadasva varaṃ mama

Translation

ഹേ ശങ്കരാ! യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ഞാൻ അവനാൽ എങ്ങനെ ജയിക്കപ്പെടാം? ആ ഉപായം എനിക്ക് പറയുക, ഞാൻ എല്ലായ്പ്പോഴും അവനോട് അജേയനായി നിലനിൽക്കാതിരിക്കട്ടെ—ഇതാണ് എന്റെ വരം.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that (Viṣṇu)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular)

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

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• साध्यः: to be overcome
• साध्यः: Visheshana (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (कृदन्त; √साध् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘to be accomplished/defeated’ (predicate)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• उपायेन: by means/strategy
• उपायेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शङ्कर: O Śaṅkara
• शङ्कर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवामि: I become/am
• भवामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कालम्: for (all) time
• कालम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालावधि-अर्थे

• तम्: that (means)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वदस्व: tell (me)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वरम्: boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kambu (Dānava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kambu presses Śaṅkara for the precise means by which he could be defeated by the mace-bearer, aiming to remove that weakness permanently.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Gadādhara (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking invulnerability through conditions reflects egoic strategy; dharma ultimately resists being outwitted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit; the surrounding passage remains situated in the Revā (Narmadā) milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse frames a ‘condition of defeat’ request within boon-negotiation.