Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

असह्यमाना सूर्यस्य तेजस्तेनातिपीडिता । वह्न्याभनिजरूपं तु च्छायारूपं विमुच्य च

Transliteration

asahyamānā sūryasya tejastenātipīḍitā | vahnyābhanijarūpaṃ tu cchāyārūpaṃ vimucya ca

Translation

Da sie die glühende Strahlkraft der Sonne nicht ertragen konnte und von jenem Glanz schwer bedrängt wurde, legte sie ihre Schattenform ab und nahm ihre eigene Gestalt an, leuchtend wie Feuer.

Word by Word

• असह्यमाना: unable to bear/enduring not
• असह्यमाना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह् (धातु) + श्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त), नञ्-पूर्वक
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रायः (present participle), नञ्-निषेधार्थः; ‘न सह्यमाना’ = unable to endure

• सूर्यस्य: of the Sun
• सूर्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तेजः: splendour, heat
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तेन: by that (by it)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अतिपीडिता: severely afflicted/oppressed
• अतिपीडिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + अति-उपसर्ग
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• वह्न्याभ: fire-like
• वह्न्याभ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + आभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—वह्नि-आभ (वह्निसदृशः) इति तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (अग्निसदृशम्)

• निजरूपम्: her own form
• निजरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—निजं रूपम् (स्वरूपम्) कर्मधारयः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे

• च्छायारूपम्: a shadow-form
• च्छायारूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—छायायाः रूपम् (shadow-form) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विमुच्य: having abandoned/released
• विमुच्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + वि-उपसर्ग + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having released/abandoned’

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing solar orb dominates the sky; the goddess-like figure (Saṃjñā) recoils from the unbearable radiance, shedding a dark, translucent shadow-form (Chāyā) and emerging in a fiery, resplendent true form.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Chāyā (shadow-form)
• Saṃjñā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True transformation begins when one abandons a false substitute (shadow) and returns to one’s authentic dharmic state through endurance and truthfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest) is the setting, presented as a sanctified place where intense tapas and divine events unfold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it narrates a turning point leading into tapas and sacred geography.