Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्यार्थं महारौद्रं सुमहद्दुष्करं तपः । ब्राह्मण्यं तेन नैवाप्तं वैलक्ष्यं परमं गतः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyārthaṃ mahāraudraṃ sumahadduṣkaraṃ tapaḥ | brāhmaṇyaṃ tena naivāptaṃ vailakṣyaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ

Translation

ব্রাহ্মণ্য লাভের জন্য সে অত্যন্ত উগ্র, মহৎ ও দুঃসাধ্য তপস্যা করল। তবু তাতে ব্রাহ্মণ্য পেল না, এবং সে চরম বিষণ্ণতায় পতিত হল।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मण्यार्थम्: for the sake of brāhmaṇahood
• ब्राह्मण्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — प्रयोजनार्थे 'for the sake of brāhmaṇahood'

• महारौद्रम्: very fierce
• महारौद्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महान् + रौद्र (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तपः)

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तपः)

• दुष्करम्: difficult to do
• दुष्करम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तपः)

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

• ब्राह्मण्यम्: brāhmaṇahood
• ब्राह्मण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — 'brāhmaṇahood'

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — 'by him/thereby'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — 'not'

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — 'indeed/just'

• आप्तम्: attained
• आप्तम्: Karma (Object described/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप् (धातु) → आप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'attained' (ब्राह्मण्यम्)

• वैलक्ष्यम्: discomfiture
• वैलक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैलक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — 'embarrassment/discomfiture'

• परमम्: supreme/utter
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — विशेषणम् (वैलक्ष्यम्)

• गतः: went to/attained
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) परस्मैपदी-प्रयोग, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — 'having gone/attained' (कर्म: वैलक्ष्यम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated ascetic amid blazing austerity—sun overhead, matted hair, ash-smeared body—yet his face shows disappointment and humility, the fire of tapas dimming into introspection.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• brāhmaṇya
• tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even intense effort may not yield immediate fruit; perseverance and right refuge are emphasized in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets up the turn toward Kailāsa and devotion to Maheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is mentioned generally; no detailed ritual sequence is stated.