Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

तदा वयं घातयामस्तारकं सह बांधवैः । अचलोहं विपक्षश्च किं कार्यं करवाणि व

Transliteration

tadā vayaṃ ghātayāmastārakaṃ saha bāṃdhavaiḥ | acalohaṃ vipakṣaśca kiṃ kāryaṃ karavāṇi va

Translation

“Se de fato tivéssemos o amparo necessário, abateríamos Tāraka junto com seus parentes. Mas eu sou uma montanha—imóvel—e (neste assunto) como que do lado oposto; que ação posso eu realmente realizar?”

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• घातयामः: we will cause to be slain / we will slay
• घातयामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (णिच् causative of हन्/घात्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘cause to kill’)

• तारकम्: Tāraka
• तारकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (postposition ‘with’)

• बान्धवैः: with (his) kinsmen
• बान्धवैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अचलः: the mountain (I)
• अचलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• विपक्षः: an opposing side/party
• विपक्षः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (interrogative)

• कार्यम्: task/duty
• कार्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करवाणि: should I do
• करवाणि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• व: indeed/or
• व: Connector/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; alternative/emphasis, often ‘or/indeed’)

Speaker

Himavān (Himālaya) (as reported by Lomaśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himālaya / Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān, serene and massive, acknowledges his immovable nature; the Devas listen as he frames his limitation and asks what action is possible for a mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Himavān (Himālaya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing one’s role and limits is part of dharma; effective action requires appropriate capacity and means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himālaya is foregrounded as sacred personified geography; no single tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.