Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तस्माद्रक्षा विधातव्या यज्ञस्याऽस्य महाप्रभो । दक्षस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा उवाच मधुसूदनः

Transliteration

tasmādrakṣā vidhātavyā yajñasyā'sya mahāprabho | dakṣasya vacanaṃ śrutvā uvāca madhusūdanaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ മഹാപ്രഭോ, ഈ യജ്ഞത്തിന് സംരക്ഷണം ഏർപ്പെടുത്തേണ്ടതാണ്. ദക്ഷന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് മധുസൂദനൻ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival sense: 'therefore/from that')

• रक्षा: protection
• रक्षा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विधातव्या: must be arranged/done
• विधातव्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-धा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयता/कर्तव्यता (to be done)

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (referring to 'yajña')

• महाप्रभो: O great lord
• महाप्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्रभु (प्रातिपदिक: महा + प्रभु)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् प्रभुः)

• दक्षस्य: of Dakṣa
• दक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• वचनम्: statement; words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मधुसूदनः: Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• मधुसूदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुसूदन (प्रातिपदिक: मधु + सूदन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधोः सूदनः)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal yajña-sabhā: Dakṣa, surrounded by ṛtviks and guarded attendants, urges that protection be arranged; Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu) listens, poised to respond, while an unseen ominous presence of Rudra is implied.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action requires protection and right guardianship; dharmic order is maintained through responsible oversight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with the Kedāra sacred landscape, though no single tīrtha is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct instruction: arrange protection (rakṣā) for the yajña.