Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

मुनिवृन्दसमाकीर्णं तपोवनमुपेत्य सः । अर्वावसुस्तपश्चक्रे देवैरपि सुदुष्करम्

Transliteration

munivṛndasamākīrṇaṃ tapovanamupetya saḥ | arvāvasustapaścakre devairapi suduṣkaram

Translation

Als er den von Scharen von Weisen erfüllten Wald der Askese betrat, vollzog Arvāvasu strenge Buße, schwer selbst für die Götter.

Word by Word

• munivṛndasamākīrṇam: filled with groups of sages
• munivṛndasamākīrṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muni-vṛnda-samākīrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (मुनिवृन्देन समाकीर्णम् = filled with groups of sages)

• tapovanam: the forest of austerities (hermitage)
• tapovanam: Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapo-vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (तपसः वनम्)

• upetya: having approached
• upetya: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-i (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive); ‘having approached/reached’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• arvāvasuḥ: Arvāvasu
• arvāvasuḥ: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arvāvasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

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

• cakre: performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• devaiḥ: by the gods
• devaiḥ: Karana (Agent/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even)

• suduṣkaram: very difficult
• suduṣkaram: Visheshana (Qualifier of tapas)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु + दुष्कर = very difficult)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapovana (unnamed specific grove)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense hermitage-forest crowded with rishis, deer, and sacred groves; Arvāvasu begins extreme austerities—standing, fasting, or meditating—radiating determination.

Characters & Entities

• Arvāvasu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purification is not merely formal—intense tapas and humility can transform one’s spiritual standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights a tapovana (a sacred ascetic grove) rather than a named tirtha; it supports Setukhaṇḍa’s broader sacred-landscape ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) as a purificatory discipline when one is barred from communal rites.