Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तालमेघो दैत्यपतिः सर्वान्नो बाधते बली । तस्मात्त्वां शरणं प्राप्ताः शरणं नो विधे भव

Transliteration

tālamegho daityapatiḥ sarvānno bādhate balī | tasmāttvāṃ śaraṇaṃ prāptāḥ śaraṇaṃ no vidhe bhava

Translation

ദൈത്യപതി മഹാബലൻ താലമേഘൻ ഞങ്ങളെയെല്ലാം പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ഞങ്ങൾ നിങ്ങളുടെ ശരണത്തിൽ എത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു—ഹേ വിധാതാ ബ്രഹ്മാ, ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് ആശ്രയമാകണമേ.

Word by Word

• तालमेघः: Tālamegha
• तालमेघः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल-मेघ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा)

• दैत्यपतिः: lord of the Daityas
• दैत्यपतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); विग्रहः: दैत्यानां पतिः (lord of the Daityas)

• सर्वान्: all (of us)
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया); ‘नः’ (अस्मान्) इत्यर्थे लुप्त-विशेष्यं (all of us)

• नः: us
• नः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, बहुवचन, द्वितीया/षष्ठी (2nd/6th) रूपम्; अत्र द्वितीया (object: us)

• बाधते: harasses / oppresses
• बाधते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बाध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• बली: mighty
• बली: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); ‘तालमेघः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकस्य पञ्चमी)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-रूपम् (adverbial ablative: therefore/from that reason)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया); गत्यर्थक-प्रयोगे (as goal)

• प्राप्ताः: have come / have resorted
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (√आप् धातु; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); कर्तरि प्रयोगः—‘वयं’ (understood)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया)

• नः: of us / for us
• नः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, बहुवचन, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी)

• विधे: O Creator / O Ordainer
• विधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ/विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन); ‘विधे’ = O Ordainer/Creator

• भव: be / become
• भव: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vācaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa tīrtha-frame (implicit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas, led by Indra and Vācaspati, stand with folded hands before Brahmā, pleading: ‘Tālamegha oppresses us; be our shelter.’ Brahmā’s lotus-seat radiates steady authority amid their distress.

Characters & Entities

• Tālamegha
• Brahmā (Vidhe)
• Daityas
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) is the dharmic response to overwhelming adharma—approach rightful authority with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s larger sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a supplicatory appeal for protection.