Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तपः कृत्वा सुविपुलं सुरासुरभयंकरम् । पौलस्त्यमन्दिरे चैव चिक्रीड नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

tapaḥ kṛtvā suvipulaṃ surāsurabhayaṃkaram | paulastyamandire caiva cikrīḍa nṛpasattama

Translation

Nachdem er eine überaus gewaltige Askese (tapas) vollbracht hatte, furchterregend selbst für Götter und Asuras, spielte er auch dort, im Heiligtum des Paulastya, o Bester der Könige.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity; penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म (कृत्वा इत्यस्य)

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive): ‘having done’

• su-vipulam: very extensive; great
• su-vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tapaḥ-विशेषणम्)

• surāsura-bhayaṃkaram: terrifying to gods and demons
• surāsura-bhayaṃkaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + bhayaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (surāsurāṇāṃ bhayaṃkaraṃ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tapaḥ-विशेषणम्)

• paulastya-mandire: in the temple/shrine of Paulastya
• paulastya-mandire: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paulastya (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (paulastyasya mandiram); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• cikrīḍa: played; sported
• cikrīḍa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nṛpa-sattama: O best of kings
• nṛpa-sattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + sat-tama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (nṛpāṇāṃ sattamaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paulastya-mandira (associated locus within Kuṇḍaleśvara area)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Yakṣa Kuṇḍadhāra performs fierce austerities near a shrine labeled Paulastya-mandira; devas and asuras watch from the sky in apprehension; the air shimmers with heat of tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Paulastya (mandira/shrine)
• Yakṣa Kuṇḍadhāra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense tapas performed in a sanctified place magnifies spiritual potency and leads to extraordinary attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuṇḍaleśvara’s sacred complex, including the Paulastya shrine/temple mentioned in the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the principal practice associated with the site’s power.