Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

राज्ञश्च तारकस्यापि दर्शयिष्यथ किं मुखम् । विरतानां रणाच्चासौ क्रुद्धः प्राणान्हरिष्यति

Transliteration

rājñaśca tārakasyāpi darśayiṣyatha kiṃ mukham | viratānāṃ raṇāccāsau kruddhaḥ prāṇānhariṣyati

Translation

രാജാ താരകനോട് നിങ്ങൾ ഏതു മുഖം കാണിക്കും? യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ നിന്ന് പിന്മാറിയാൽ അവൻ ക്രുദ്ധനായി നിങ്ങളുടെ പ്രാണങ്ങളേയും അപഹരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of the king'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• तारकस्य: of Tāraka
• तारकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of Tāraka'

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• दर्शयिष्यथ: you will show
• दर्शयिष्यथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त — 'you (pl.) will show'

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — interrogative used adjectivally

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'face'

• विरतानाम्: of those who have withdrawn
• विरतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-रम् (धातु) → विरत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन — 'of those who have desisted/withdrawn'

• रणात्: from battle
• रणात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन — 'from battle'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• असौ: he/that one
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — demonstrative 'that/he'

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• क्रुद्धः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु) → क्रुद्ध (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'angered'

• प्राणान्: lives
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — 'lives/breaths'

• हरिष्यति: will take away
• हरिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'will take away'

Speaker

Sūta narrating a daitya’s warning to fellow daityas (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A commander’s harsh admonition on the battlefield: warriors hesitate, and the speaker warns that the enemy-king Tāraka will slaughter deserters; banners, weapons, and tense faces under a cold, dim sky.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions have consequences: abandoning one’s duty invites both inner downfall and external punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is within the mythic war account connected to Tāraka’s forces.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.