Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

किं तु पंचशरः प्रेर्यः कार्यशेषेऽत्र वासव । इत्यादिश्य गतश्चाहं तारकं प्रति फाल्गुन

Transliteration

kiṃ tu paṃcaśaraḥ preryaḥ kāryaśeṣe'tra vāsava | ityādiśya gataścāhaṃ tārakaṃ prati phālguna

Translation

എന്നാൽ ഹേ വാസവാ! ഈ കര്‍മ്മത്തിന്റെ ശേഷിച്ച ഭാഗത്തിനായി പഞ്ചശരനായ കാമദേവനെ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കണം. ഇങ്ങനെ ഉപദേശിച്ച്, ഹേ ഫാല്‍ഗുനാ, ഞാൻ താരകനെ ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി പോയി।

Word by Word

• किम्: what/indeed
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/अनिर्णयार्थक-निपात (interrogative/indefinite particle)

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/however)

• पञ्चशरः: the five-arrowed one (Kāma)
• पञ्चशरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-शर (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + शर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral determinative)

• प्रेर्यः: to be impelled/sent
• प्रेर्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेर्य (कृदन्त; √प्रेर् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity: 'to be impelled/should be sent')

• कार्यशेषे: in the remaining task
• कार्यशेषे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य-शेष (प्रातिपदिक; कार्य + शेष)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (remaining part of the task)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वासव: O Vāsava (Indra)
• वासव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• आदिश्य: having instructed
• आदिश्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदिश्य (कृदन्त; √दिश् (धातु) + ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (absolutive/gerund: 'having instructed')

• गतः: went/has gone
• गतः: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्ता-विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively: 'gone')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तारकम्: Tāraka
• तारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sampradana/Direction (Goal/प्रति-गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-प्रयोगे गत्यर्थक (towards; governs accusative)

• फाल्गुन: O Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāsava (Indra); also framed for Phālguna (Arjuna) as addressee in the verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine messenger-figure (narrator) instructs Indra (Vāsava) that Kāma must be set in motion for the remaining task; the speaker then departs toward Tāraka, implying a war-campaign horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Indra (Vāsava)
• Kāma (Pañcaśara)
• Tāraka
• Phālguna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order unfolds through coordinated divine roles; even desire (Kāma) is harnessed for dharmic ends.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse concerns the devas’ strategy against Tāraka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it speaks of directing Kāma for completing the divine task.