Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततो विभूतयः प्राहुर्मांटे तव सुतस्त्वसौ । अद्यापि कालमार्गस्य भीतः कम्पति रोदिति

Transliteration

tato vibhūtayaḥ prāhurmāṃṭe tava sutastvasau | adyāpi kālamārgasya bhītaḥ kampati roditi

Translation

ਤਦ ਵਿਭੂਤੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ, “ਹੇ ਮਾਂਟੀ, ਇਹੀ ਤੇਰਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਹੈ। ਅਜੇ ਵੀ ਇਹ ਕਾਲ ਦੇ ਮਾਰਗ (ਮੌਤ) ਤੋਂ ਡਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਕੰਬਦਾ ਤੇ ਰੋਂਦਾ ਹੈ।”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla/Anukrama (Temporal/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (sequence adverb)

• vibhūtayaḥ: the vibhūtis
• vibhūtayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhūti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Feminine nominative plural)

• prāhuḥ: said
• prāhuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah/√brū (धातु; ‘प्राह’ इत्यस्य बहुवचन)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्सभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd plural, active)

• māṃṭe: O Māṃṭi
• māṃṭe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Genitive singular)

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine nominative singular)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेष/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Masculine nominative singular: ‘that one/he’)

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (time adverb)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (particle: also/even)

• kāla-mārgasya: of the path of Time (death)
• kāla-mārgasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘कालस्य मार्गः’ (Genitive singular)

• bhītaḥ: afraid
• bhītaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhī (धातु) → bhīta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally)

• kampati: trembles
• kampati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kamp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd singular, active)

• roditi: cries
• roditi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rud (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd singular, active)

Speaker

Vibhūtis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Vibhūtis present the newborn to Māṃṭi, pointing gently to the trembling child; a subtle shadow motif behind suggests Kāla’s path, while divine light reassures.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhūtis
• Māṃṭi
• Kāla (Time/Death)
• the child

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear is rooted in mortality (kāla); spiritual refuge and dharma are presented as responses to the anxiety of Time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes the existential theme of Kāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.