Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तपस्तेपे महाभाग विधिना सह भारत । न शक्यं केनचित्कर्त्तुमात्मनात्मैव तुष्टवान्

Transliteration

tapastepe mahābhāga vidhinā saha bhārata | na śakyaṃ kenacitkarttumātmanātmaiva tuṣṭavān

Translation

O glücklicher Bhārata, er vollzog die Askese zusammen mit Vidhātṛ (Brahmā), nach rechter Vorschrift. Niemand sonst vermag dies zu tun; allein durch sein eigenes Selbst wurde er zufrieden, in sich vollendet.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• tepe: performed
• tepe: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular)

• mahā-bhāga: O fortunate one
• mahā-bhāga: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• vidhinā: with Brahmā (Vidhi)
• vidhinā: Sahakārī/Karaṇa (Accompaniment/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahārtha (Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (Preposition-like: 'with')

• bhārata: O Bhārata
• bhārata: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (Negation particle)

• śakyam: possible
• śakyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (शक्-धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (potential/fit); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• kenacit: by anyone
• kenacit: Karta (Agent, in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular; indefinite 'by anyone')

• karttum: to do
• karttum: Prayojana/Anvaya (Complement of 'possible')
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• ātmanā: by oneself
• ātmanā: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• ātmā: the self (he himself)
• ātmā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• eva: alone; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (Emphatic particle)

• tuṣṭavān: was satisfied
• tuṣṭavān: Kriyā-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (past active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator addressing ‘Bhārata’ (epic-style addressee within Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu in deep tapas, with Brahmā (Vidhātr̥) nearby in reverent austerity; the atmosphere is still, luminous, and inward—suggesting self-fulfillment.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vidhi/Vidhātr̥ (Brahmā)
• Bhārata (addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is not compelled by external force; divine fulfillment is intrinsic, and tapas is undertaken for loka-saṅgraha (the welfare of the worlds).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Dharmāraṇya, since the tapas described continues the Dharmāraṇya episode tied to tīrtha-prādurbhāva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is emphasized; the verse frames austerity as a sacred discipline associated with divine purpose.