Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युरेतज्जानीहि तत्त्वतः । प्रहस्य तारकः प्राह अजेयत्वं च देहि मे

Transliteration

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyuretajjānīhi tattvataḥ | prahasya tārakaḥ prāha ajeyatvaṃ ca dehi me

Translation

Với kẻ đã sinh ra, cái chết ắt hẳn—hãy biết điều ấy đúng như chân lý. Bấy giờ Tāraka cười mà thưa: “Xin cũng ban cho ta sự bất khả chiến bại.”

Word by Word

• जातस्य: of one who is born
• जातस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive, Singular (one who is born)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• ध्रुवः: certain
• ध्रुवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (मृत्युः विशेषण)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जानीहि: know
• जानीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative, 2nd person, Singular; परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वतः: truly
• तत्त्वतः: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: in truth/according to reality)

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); having laughed

• तारकः: Tāraka
• तारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘प्राह’ as perfect of √अह्/ब्रू)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• अजेयत्वम्: invincibility
• अजेयत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजेय (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; भाववाचक-तद्धित (त्व)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative, Singular (enclitic)

Speaker

First sentence: Brahmā; second sentence: Tāraka (as narrated by Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kedārakhaṇḍa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā declares the certainty of death for the born; Tāraka laughs, unfazed, pivoting to request invincibility; the contrast between cosmic truth and asuric defiance is stark.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acceptance of mortality is part of wisdom; seeking invincibility instead reflects pride and deepens bondage to adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly praised in this verse; it supports the broader Kedārakhaṇḍa sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.