Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एवं पंचसहस्राणि वर्षाणि स महामुनिः । अतप्यत तपो घोरं देवैरपि सुदुष्करम्

Transliteration

evaṃ paṃcasahasrāṇi varṣāṇi sa mahāmuniḥ | atapyata tapo ghoraṃ devairapi suduṣkaram

Translation

So vollzog jener große Muni fünftausend Jahre lang ein furchtbares Tapas, ein Unterfangen, das selbst für die Devas äußerst schwer ist.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• पंचसहस्राणि: five thousand
• पंचसहस्राणि: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च सहस्राणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; वर्षाणि इति विशेष्येण सह

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (Extent/अवधि-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण-निर्देशः (अवधि)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् मुनिः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अतप्यत: performed austerity, practiced penance
• अतप्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• घोरम्: terrible, severe
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः इति विशेष्येण सह

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana/Agent (By/Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः इति विशेष्येण सह; सु-उपपदेन अतिशयार्थः

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great sage in severe austerity for five thousand years; devas in the sky look on in astonishment, acknowledging the difficulty of his vow.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary perseverance in dharma and tapas is portrayed as a force that surpasses even celestial capacities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra’s atmosphere is implied as conducive to long austerities and divine attainment in Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse prescribes no specific rite, but emphasizes sustained tapas as a path to divine favor.