Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

यदा दग्धः पुरा तेन मदनो दुरतिक्रमः । तथैव धक्ष्यत्यस्माकं नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

yadā dagdhaḥ purā tena madano duratikramaḥ | tathaiva dhakṣyatyasmākaṃ nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

เพราะกาลก่อน พระองค์ได้เผามทนะ (กามเทพ) ผู้ยากจะต้านทานแล้ว; ฉันใดก็ฉันนั้น พระองค์จักเผาพวกเรา—ไม่จำเป็นต้องไตร่ตรองในที่นี้

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक), ‘when’

• दग्धः: burnt
• दग्धः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicative/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) → दग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘burnt’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक), ‘formerly’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘by him/with that’

• मदनः: Madana (Kāma)
• मदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दुरतिक्रमः: hard to overcome
• दुरतिक्रमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + अतिक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दुरतिक्रमः = दुर्-अतिक्रमः ‘hard to overcome’)

• तथा: in the same way
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक), ‘thus/in the same way’

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण-निपात), ‘indeed/just’

• धक्ष्यति: will burn
• धक्ष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of us’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• अत्र: here; in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक), ‘here/in this matter’

• कार्या: to be done; necessary
• कार्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (विचारणा)

• विचारणा: deliberation; consideration
• विचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Suras and Asuras (collective, continuing their reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (context) / Virūpākṣa (Śiva)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (audience; within story: devas/asuras speaking among themselves)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The assembly recalls the ancient moment when Śiva’s fire burned Madana; their fear projects that same flame onto themselves, imagining being consumed by divine radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by tena)
• Madana/Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s power dissolves even desire itself; remembering divine acts should inspire reverence and self-restraint, not panic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the verse recalls the mythic event of Kāma being burned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative recollection used as an argument.