Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एतेषां तपसा चैतद्धार्यते भुवनत्रयम् । उत्पाद्य ब्रह्मणा पूर्वमेते प्रोक्ता महर्षयः

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ tapasā caitaddhāryate bhuvanatrayam | utpādya brahmaṇā pūrvamete proktā maharṣayaḥ

Translation

Durch die Askese (tapas) dieser Großen wird die ganze dreifache Welt getragen. In früherer Zeit, nachdem Brahmā sie erschaffen hatte, erklärte er sie zu großen ṛṣis.

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धार्यते: is sustained/borne
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• भुवनत्रयम्: the three worlds
• भुवनत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रयाणां भुवनानाम्)

• उत्पाद्य: having produced
• उत्पाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्ताः: were declared/told
• प्रोक्ताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, seated on a lotus, gestures in proclamation as a circle of newly created sages radiate ascetic brilliance; the triple world symbolically rests upon their tapas like a subtle cosmic pillar.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Maharṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is not merely personal discipline; it becomes a cosmic support that upholds the worlds when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī/Avimukta narrative frame, preparing for the Avimukta-kṣetra’s liṅga and tīrtha praises.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; austerity (tapas) is praised as the sustaining spiritual practice.