Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

महासुर महोन्मादकालानल दिवस्पते । कुशलं विद्यते कच्चिच्च नंदसि

Transliteration

mahāsura mahonmādakālānala divaspate | kuśalaṃ vidyate kaccicca naṃdasi

Translation

हे दिवस्पते, महासुरविनिग्रहक, रणकाले कालानलसदृश, कुशलं कच्चिद् विद्यते? च नन्दसि वा?

Word by Word

• mahā-asura: O great Asura
• mahā-asura: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (mahān asuraḥ)

• mahā-unmāda-kāla-anala: O great fire of the time of frenzy (epithet)
• mahā-unmāda-kāla-anala: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + unmāda (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + anala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारय-समासः (epithet: 'great—madness—time—fire', i.e., 'great fire of the time of frenzy')

• divas-pate: O lord of heaven
• divas-pate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divas (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (divasaḥ patiḥ = 'lord of heaven/day')

• kuśalam: well-being, welfare
• kuśalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• vidyate: exists, is
• vidyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• kaccit: is it the case that…?
• kaccit: Sambandha (Interrogative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle: 'whether?/surely?')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• nandasi: you rejoice, are pleased
• nandasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nand (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Indra)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (outer frame); Indra (inner addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda addresses Indra with lofty epithets: subduer of asuras, blazing like the fire of Time; the tone is respectful yet probing about welfare and contentment.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Divaspati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous discourse begins with concern for welfare (kuśala) and the inner state (contentment), even when addressing powerful rulers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a formal inquiry within a divine dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is conversational etiquette rooted in Dharma.