Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तपोजपकृशीभूतो दिव्यं वर्षशतं किल । महाभूतैर्विघ्नकरैः पीड्यमानः समन्ततः

Transliteration

tapojapakṛśībhūto divyaṃ varṣaśataṃ kila | mahābhūtairvighnakaraiḥ pīḍyamānaḥ samantataḥ

Translation

Durch Askese und Mantra-Rezitation bis zur Dürre abgemagert, wahrlich volle hundert göttliche Jahre, wurde er ringsum von großen elementaren Wesen bedrängt, die Hindernisse bereiteten.

Word by Word

• तपोजपकृशीभूतः: emaciated by austerity and muttering (japa)
• तपोजपकृशीभूतः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + जप + कृशी + भू (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तपसा जपेन च कृशीभूतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कामदेवस्य)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वर्षशतम्)

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Karma (Extent/measure as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (शतं वर्षाणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कालपरिमाणम्)

• किल: indeed; it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः; प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ/अनुश्रव (indeed/traditionally)

• महाभूतैः: by great beings/elements
• महाभूतैः: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान्ति भूतानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• विघ्नकरैः: causing obstacles
• विघ्नकरैः: Karana (Qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विघ्न + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विघ्नस्य कराः/विघ्नं कुर्वन्ति); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (महाभूतैः)

• पीड्यमानः: being tormented
• पीड्यमानः: Karta (Subject complement in passive sense/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड् (धातु) + यमान (शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle, मान/शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of place)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated ascetic Kāmadeva performs japa for ‘hundred divine years’; around him swirl personified elements—wind, fire, storm, darkness—attempting to break concentration.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadeva
• Mahābhūtas (obstacle-causing beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serious spiritual practice attracts trials; steadfast tapas and japa are portrayed as the means to overcome vighnas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode continues in the Narmadā setting of the Revā Khaṇḍa, framing the tīrtha as a place of intense sādhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa combined with tapas over a sustained period is emphasized; no specific mantra is named here.