Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तस्याहं संयुगे साध्यो येनोपायेन शङ्कर । भवामि न सदा कालं तं वदस्व वरं मम

Transliteration

tasyāhaṃ saṃyuge sādhyo yenopāyena śaṅkara | bhavāmi na sadā kālaṃ taṃ vadasva varaṃ mama

Translation

Wahai Śaṅkara, dengan cara apakah dia dapat menewaskanku dalam pertempuran? Nyatakanlah kepadaku, agar aku tidak sentiasa terdedah kepadanya—itulah kurniaku.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that (Viṣṇu)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• साध्यः: to be overcome
• साध्यः: Visheshana (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (कृदन्त; √साध् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘to be accomplished/defeated’ (predicate)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• उपायेन: by means/strategy
• उपायेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शङ्कर: O Śaṅkara
• शङ्कर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवामि: I become/am
• भवामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कालम्: for (all) time
• कालम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालावधि-अर्थे

• तम्: that (means)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वदस्व: tell (me)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वरम्: boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kambu (Dānava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kambu presses Śaṅkara for the precise means by which he could be defeated by the mace-bearer, aiming to remove that weakness permanently.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Gadādhara (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking invulnerability through conditions reflects egoic strategy; dharma ultimately resists being outwitted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit; the surrounding passage remains situated in the Revā (Narmadā) milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse frames a ‘condition of defeat’ request within boon-negotiation.