Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्यापि तपसो राशेः कालेन महतानघ । पुत्रोऽथ मानसो जातः साक्षाद्ब्रह्मेव चापरः

Transliteration

tasyāpi tapaso rāśeḥ kālena mahatānagha | putro'tha mānaso jātaḥ sākṣādbrahmeva cāparaḥ

Translation

ومن ذلك الكنز من التقشّف (تَبَس)، على مدى زمن عظيم، يا منزّهًا عن الإثم، وُلِد ابنٌ ذهنيّ (مانَسَا)، كأنه براهما آخر، ظاهرٌ ظهورًا مباشرًا.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-निपात (also; even)

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राशेः: of the heap/accumulation
• राशेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कालेन: by (the passage of) time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महता: great; long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कालेन)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रः: a son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर-क्रमसूचक (then/now)

• मानसः: mind-born
• मानसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुत्रः)

• जातः: was born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) 'born'; विधेय-विशेषणम् (पुत्रः)

• साक्षात्: directly; in person
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/प्रत्यक्षता-वाचक (directly; manifestly)

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान-पदम् (इव सह)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-प्रदर्शक (like/as)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• अपरः: another; second
• अपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (पुत्रः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karañjeśvara (legendary frame continues)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous ascetic scene: Marīci in deep meditation, surrounded by an aura formed from accumulated tapas; from that radiance, a mind-born son appears—depicted as ‘another Brahmā’, with a subtle four-faced or Brahmā-like splendor (without fully duplicating iconography), emphasizing spiritual potency.

Characters & Entities

• tapasyā (tapas)
• Brahmā
• mānasa putra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as a generative spiritual force—capable of producing exalted beings and sustaining dharma across ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it supports the backstory for a Revā Khaṇḍa tirtha-mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the emphasis is on long-term austerity as the cause of extraordinary attainment.