Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्यापुत्रस्य पुत्रार्थे रुद्रान्संजपतः किल । गतं वर्षशतं तुष्टस्ततस्तं प्राह शंकरः

Transliteration

tasyāputrasya putrārthe rudrānsaṃjapataḥ kila | gataṃ varṣaśataṃ tuṣṭastatastaṃ prāha śaṃkaraḥ

Translation

Da er ohne Sohn war, heißt es, habe er Rudra in strenger Japa gepriesen, um Nachkommenschaft zu erlangen. Als hundert Jahre vergangen waren, sprach Śaṅkara, zufrieden, zu ihm.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपुत्रस्य: of the sonless (man)
• अपुत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (one who is without a son)

• पुत्रार्थे: for the sake of a son
• पुत्रार्थे: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (for the purpose)

• रुद्रान्: Rudras / Rudra (mantras)
• रुद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• संजपतः: of (him) who was continuously reciting
• संजपतः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√जप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle) 'संजपत्'; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (genitive absolute/relational)

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; reportative/emphatic)

• गतम्: passed, elapsed
• गतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षशत (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √तुष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (शंकरस्य) विशेषणम्

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राह: said, spoke to
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अह्/ब्रू (धातु; 'आह' from √अह्)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Pāṇḍava-line prince (pāṇḍukula-udvaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Māṃṭi, aged by a century of austerity, continues Rudra-japa with unwavering focus; then Śaṅkara manifests before him, radiant and compassionate, signaling the end of the long wait.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Rudra
• Māṃṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Long-term tapas and mantra-japa, sustained with purpose and devotion, culminate in Śiva’s direct compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative is situated in Vārāṇasī, reinforcing Kāśī as a powerful field for japa and divine response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃjapa of Rudra (repeated, focused chanting) undertaken as a vow-like austerity for putra-prāpti (obtaining a son).