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

ततो विभूतयः प्राहुः—“हे मांटे, एष तव सुत एव। अद्यापि कालमार्गभीतः कम्पते रोदिति च।”

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.