Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तदहं तव वाक्येन संस्थितात्र तपोधन । गुहेनाथ सरः पुण्यं पालयिष्याम्यतंद्रिता

Transliteration

tadahaṃ tava vākyena saṃsthitātra tapodhana | guhenātha saraḥ puṇyaṃ pālayiṣyāmyataṃdritā

Translation

پس تمہارے کلام کے مطابق، اے ریاضت کے خزانے، میں یہیں قائم رہوں گی؛ گُہا کو اپنا ناتھ مان کر، میں اس پُنّیہ سرور کی بے غفلت حفاظت کروں گی۔

Word by Word

• तत्: therefore/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse deictic/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; वाक्योपसंहारार्थ (that/therefore)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वाक्येन: by (your) word/command
• वाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• संस्थिता: stationed/settled
• संस्थिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव (having stood/being stationed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तपोधन: O treasure of austerity (sage)
• तपोधन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गुहेन: by/with the cave
• गुहेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• सरः: the lake
• सरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सरः)

• पालयिष्यामि: I will protect/maintain
• पालयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अतन्द्रिता: unwearied/without negligence
• अतन्द्रिता: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त विशेषण (not negligent)

Speaker

Devī (in dialogue; addressing Nārada as tapodhana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guheśvara/Guha-nātha Saras (pūṇya-saras)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tapodhana (ascetic addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred lake (saras) with lotus blooms; a devout figure (the speaker) takes a vow of residence and guardianship; Guha’s presence is suggested by a spear (śakti/vel) emblem or a small shrine on the bank.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Guha (Skanda/Kumāra)
• Puṇya-saras (sacred lake)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is sustained by divine guardianship; devotion to Skanda (Guha) and Devī supports sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A puṇya-saras (holy lake/pond) associated with Guha and the Rudrāṇī-kūpa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it is a divine vow establishing ongoing protection and sanctity of the waters.