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

“Namun bagi baki tugas ini, Pañcaśara (Kāma, dewa berpanah lima) harus didorong, wahai Vāsava.” Setelah berpesan demikian, aku pun meneruskan perjalanan menuju Tāraka, wahai Phālguna.

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.