Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3
शक्तिहस्तो विनद्याथ गुहो देवांस्तदाब्रवीत् । यद्यद्य तारकं पापं नाहं हन्मि सुरोत्तमाः
śaktihasto vinadyātha guho devāṃstadābravīt | yadyadya tārakaṃ pāpaṃ nāhaṃ hanmi surottamāḥ
Dengan lembing (śakti) di tangan, Guha mengaum lalu berkata kepada para dewa: “Jika hari ini aku tidak membunuh Tāraka yang berdosa itu, wahai dewa-dewa termulia…”
Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
Listener: Devas
Scene: Guha, gripping the śakti, roars like thunder and addresses the assembled devas, declaring his resolve to slay the sinful Tāraka.
FAQs
Kṣātra-dharma is shown as responsibility bound by vow—protecting the worlds requires courage, discipline, and accountability.
No specific sacred site is mentioned; the verse is part of the martial narrative of Tāraka’s destruction.
None; the verse emphasizes a warrior’s vow (pratijñā) rather than a rite.