Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

एकदा धर्मराजो वै तपस्तेपे सुदुष्करम् । ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशाद्यैर्जलवर्षांतपादिषाट्

Transliteration

ekadā dharmarājo vai tapastepe suduṣkaram | brahmaviṣṇumaheśādyairjalavarṣāṃtapādiṣāṭ

Translation

Einst vollzog Dharmarāja eine überaus schwere Askese; durch die Kraft seiner Zucht ertrug er Prüfungen wie Regen, Platzregen und glühende Hitze, während Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa und andere zusahen.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• धर्मराजः: Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य राजा)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेपे: performed (did penance)
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः); कर्मधारयः (अत्यन्तं दुष्करम्)

• ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशाद्यैः: by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa and others
• ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशाद्यैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + महेश + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशाः आदयः)

• जलवर्षान्तपादिषाट्: one who endured water, rain, heat, etc. (austere practices)
• जलवर्षान्तपादिषाट्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + वर्ष + अन्त + पादि + षाट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मराजः); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; पाठः दुष्करः/दुर्लभः—‘षाट्’ अंशः अनिश्चितः (सम्भाव्यं ‘शात्/षाट्’ इति)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpaśārdūla (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja stands or sits in severe austerity amid alternating rain and scorching sun; above or around, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa appear as luminous witnesses, not intervening, honoring the discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast tapas, patiently borne through hardship, draws divine attention and becomes the seed of tīrtha-mahātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse begins the backstory leading to Dharmāraṇya’s sanctity, though the site is not named within the line itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity/penance) is highlighted as the practice, with endurance of environmental hardships.