Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

बहुकालं शिलाभूता रंभाप्यासीत्तदाश्रमे । तस्मिन्नेवाश्रमे पुण्ये शिष्योऽगस्त्यस्य संमतः

Transliteration

bahukālaṃ śilābhūtā raṃbhāpyāsīttadāśrame | tasminnevāśrame puṇye śiṣyo'gastyasya saṃmataḥ

Translation

Lange Zeit blieb auch Rambhā in jenem Āśrama als Stein. In eben diesem heiligen Āśrama war ein Schüler Agastyas, hoch geachtet.

Word by Word

• बहुकालम्: for a long time
• बहुकालम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahu-kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण), कर्मधारय-समास — ‘for a long time’

• शिलाभूता: turned into stone
• शिलाभूता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śilā-bhūta (प्रातिपदिक; शिला + भूत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘stone-formed’

• रम्भा: Rambhā
• रम्भा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rambhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘also’

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘was’

• तत्: in that
• तत्: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘in that’ (qualifying आश्रमे)

• आश्रमे: in the hermitage
• आश्रमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘in the hermitage’

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘in that’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘indeed/just’

• आश्रमे: in the hermitage
• आश्रमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पुण्ये: holy
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘holy’ (qualifying आश्रमे)

• शिष्यः: disciple
• शिष्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘disciple’

• अगस्त्यस्य: of Agastya
• अगस्त्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of Agastya’

• संमतः: approved; esteemed
• संमतः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-mata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम् + √मन्/मत ‘approved’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) — ‘approved/esteemed’

Speaker

Unknown (narratorial voice within Setu-khaṇḍa; likely Sūta-style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Punya āśrama (Rambhā-śilā episode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone-form Rambhā near the hermitage, while an esteemed disciple of Agastya resides there—shown as a calm ascetic with a waterpot and staff, suggesting latent power to resolve curses.

Characters & Entities

• Rambhā
• Agastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the sanctity of sages’ āśramas and the enduring karmic consequences that unfold within holy spaces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the puṇya of the unnamed āśrama; the precise tīrtha-name is not stated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the sacred āśrama context and a revered disciple in the lineage of Agastya.