Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तेन वर्षशतं साग्रं तपश्चीर्णं पुरानघ । पुत्रार्थं वरयामास पुत्रं पुत्रवतां वरः

Transliteration

tena varṣaśataṃ sāgraṃ tapaścīrṇaṃ purānagha | putrārthaṃ varayāmāsa putraṃ putravatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

يا من لا إثم عليه، لقد مارس قديمًا التقشّف والنسك أكثر من مئة عام؛ ولمّا اشتهى ولدًا، سأل أفضل الآباء نعمةَ ابنٍ.

Word by Word

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

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष-शत (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; काल-परिमाण (measure of time)

• साग्रम्: with an excess (and more)
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साग्र (प्रातिपदिक; स + अग्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वर्षशतम्)

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चीर्णम्: performed; practiced
• चीर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

• पुरा: formerly; long ago
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक; अ-नघ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पुत्रार्थम्: for the sake of a son
• पुत्रार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• वरयामास: chose; sought (as a boon)
• वरयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु; √वृ ‘to choose’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुत्रवताम्: of those who have sons
• पुत्रवताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of those who have sons)

• वरः: the best; the excellent one
• वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa; likely Mārkaṇḍeya continuing discourse to a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhṛkuṭeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as ‘anagha’/sinless)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛgu performs severe austerities for over a hundred years near the Śiva-tīrtha—matted hair, emaciated body, surrounded by fire/solar heat imagery—while the river flows steadily beside the shrine.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, long-term tapas undertaken with a focused dharmic intention is portrayed as spiritually efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse sets the narrative for a Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha context; the specific tīrtha is detailed in the following verses of the adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it highlights prolonged austerity (tapas) performed for obtaining progeny.