Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

तत्र तेपे तपः साध्वी निराहाराऽश्वरूपिणी । एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवि तस्याश्छाया विवस्वतः

Transliteration

tatra tepe tapaḥ sādhvī nirāhārā'śvarūpiṇī | etasminnaṃtare devi tasyāśchāyā vivasvataḥ

Translation

هناك مارست السيدة الصالحة، وقد اتخذت هيئة فرسٍ أنثى، رياضاتٍ زهديةً بلا طعام. وفي تلك الأثناء، أيتها الإلهة، بقي ظلّها (تشايا Chāyā) مع فيفاسفان (سوريا Sūrya).

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — 3rd person singular, perfect, middle

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म (२), एकवचन — neuter, accusative singular (object)

• साध्वी: the virtuous woman
• साध्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular

• निराहारा: fasting, without food
• निराहारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (आहारस्य अभावः) — ‘without food’

• अश्व-रूपिणी: mare-formed
• अश्व-रूपिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular; समासः तत्पुरुष (अश्वस्य रूपं यस्याः) — ‘having the form of a mare’

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (७), एकवचन — neuter, locative singular (in this)

• अन्तरे: in the meantime, in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (७), एकवचन — neuter, locative singular; ‘in the interval/meanwhile’

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (८), एकवचन — feminine, vocative singular

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (६), एकवचन — feminine, genitive singular

• छाया: shadow
• छाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular

• विवस्वतः: of Vivasvat (the Sun)
• विवस्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (६), एकवचन — masculine, genitive singular

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) as narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a remote northern realm, Saṃjñā in mare-form stands in austere stillness, emaciated yet radiant, practicing foodless tapas; simultaneously, a shadowy feminine figure (Chāyā) remains beside Sūrya in a sunlit palace, maintaining household presence.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃjñā (implied)
• Chāyā
• Vivasvān (Sūrya)
• tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) is presented as a transformative spiritual force, even amid complex worldly duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The māhātmya’s sacred frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, but this verse locates the episode in the cosmic north near Uttara Kuru rather than a named earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting (nirāhāra) as part of tapas is described, though not as a general public injunction.