Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कृपासिंधो महाभाग सर्वव्यापिन्सुरेश्वर । कदा ह्यत्र तपस्तप्तं विष्णुनामिततेजसा

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kṛpāsiṃdho mahābhāga sarvavyāpinsureśvara | kadā hyatra tapastaptaṃ viṣṇunāmitatejasā

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: O Ozean des Mitgefühls, o Erhabener, o allgegenwärtiger Herr der Götter — wann wurde hier wahrlich die Askese (tapas) von Viṣṇu vollzogen, dessen Glanz unermesslich ist?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; √वच्—वचने

• कृपासिन्धो: O ocean of compassion
• कृपासिन्धो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा + सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (ocean of compassion)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भाग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (greatly fortunate)

• सर्वव्यापिन्: O all-pervading one
• सर्वव्यापिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (all-pervading)

• सुरेश्वर: O lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (lord of the gods)

• कदा: when
• कदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-कालवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative temporal adverb)

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तप्तम्: performed / practiced
• तप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप्त (√तप् + क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana/Karta (Agent/Instrument/करण/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• अमिततेजसा: of immeasurable radiance
• अमिततेजसा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (of immeasurable splendor); विशेषण विष्णुना

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, hands folded, questions a radiant sage addressed as ‘ocean of compassion’; behind them lies a sacred forest with a nearby tīrtha, and a subtle vision of Viṣṇu in tapas posture appears.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Viṣṇu
• Sureśvara (addressed divinity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inquiry into a place’s sacred history is itself dhārmic; knowing a tīrtha’s origin deepens devotion and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya as a sacred field where Viṣṇu performed tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription—this verse opens the inquiry about Viṣṇu’s austerities (tapas).