Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पंचाग्निसा धनं शुक्रे मासि सूर्येण तापिते । चक्रे सुदुःसहं राजन्देवैरपि दुरासदम्

Transliteration

paṃcāgnisā dhanaṃ śukre māsi sūryeṇa tāpite | cakre suduḥsahaṃ rājandevairapi durāsadam

Translation

في شهر شوكرا، وقد لُفِح بحرِّ الشمس، باشر تقشّف «النيران الخمس» الشديد؛ محنة لا تُحتمل، أيها الملك، ويَعسُر الاقتراب منها حتى على الدِّيفات.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाग्निसा: by/with the five fires (penance)
• पञ्चाग्निसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘पञ्चाग्नि’ (पञ्च अग्नयः) इति द्विगुसमासः; करणवाचक

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• शुक्रे: in (the time of) Venus / on Friday
• शुक्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘शुक्र’ = शुक्रग्रहः (Venus)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सूर्येण: by the sun
• सूर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तापिते: heated/scorched
• तापिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तापित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘मासि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चक्रे: made/did
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सुदुःसहम्: very hard to endure
• सुदुःसहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुःसह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘धनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (even/also)

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach/attain
• दुरासदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + आसद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘धनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing a King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic performing pañcāgni-tapas: four fires at the cardinal directions and the blazing sun overhead, the ground shimmering with heat; the figure steady, eyes inward, while distant devas watch with apprehension.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (tapas) can become so intense that it shakes even the divine order; therefore tapas must be aligned with dharma and right intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Dharmāraṇya context; the sanctity is tied to the forest-region (Dharmāraṇya) rather than naming a single famous pan-Indian tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The pañcāgni observance—sitting amid four fires with the sun as the fifth heat-source—indicating extreme tapas rather than a public ritual.