Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

महापस्मारसंक्रांतं यथैवाप्रियवादिनम् । विधूय सकलान्देवान्क्षणमात्रेण तारकः

Transliteration

mahāpasmārasaṃkrāṃtaṃ yathaivāpriyavādinam | vidhūya sakalāndevānkṣaṇamātreṇa tārakaḥ

Translation

മഹാപസ്മാരബാധിതൻ അപ്രിയവാക്യനെയെങ്ങനെ കുലുക്കി അകറ്റുന്നുവോ, അതുപോലെ താരകൻ ക്ഷണമാത്രത്തിൽ സർവ്വദേവന്മാരെയും കുലുക്കി ചിതറിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• महापस्मारसंक्रान्तम्: overcome/afflicted by great epilepsy (mahāpasmāra)
• महापस्मारसंक्रान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापस्मार (प्रातिपदिक) + संक्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √क्रम्/√क्राम् (धातु) उपसर्ग-सम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle) ‘संक्रान्त’ = ‘सम्+√क्रम्’

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative ‘as/like’)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic/only/indeed)

• अप्रियवादिनम्: a speaker of unpleasant words
• अप्रियवादिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘अप्रियं वदति’ इति (one who speaks unpleasantly)

• विधूय: having shaken off, having dispersed
• विधूय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √धू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having shaken off/dispelled’

• सकलान्: all
• सकलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• क्षणमात्रेण: within a mere moment
• क्षणमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कालवाचक (instrumental of measure: ‘in/within a mere moment’)

• तारकः: Tāraka
• तारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tāraka, like a violent seizure, flings away the assembled devas in an instant; gods tumble and scatter across the battlefield, banners torn, chariots displaced, clouds of dust rising.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked arrogance can fling aside even venerable powers; therefore dharma requires a higher restoring force—Skanda’s advent—to reestablish order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it remains within the cosmic battle narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.