Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सदा तपस्यां चरामि प्रीत्यर्थं हरिवेधसोः । श्रुत्वेति चापसृत्यैव खिन्नास्ते मुनयोऽब्रुवन्

Transliteration

sadā tapasyāṃ carāmi prītyarthaṃ harivedhasoḥ | śrutveti cāpasṛtyaiva khinnāste munayo'bruvan

Translation

(Er sprach:) „Stets übe ich Askese (tapas) zur Freude Haris und Vedhas’ (Brahmās).“ Als sie dies hörten, wichen die Weisen sogleich zurück und sprachen niedergeschlagen.

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adverbial (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb of time

• तपस्याम्: in austerity
• तपस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — feminine locative singular

• चरामि: I practice / I perform
• चरामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — 1st person singular present

• प्रीत्यर्थम्: for the sake of pleasure
• प्रीत्यर्थम्: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीत्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; प्रीति + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular used adverbially (हेतौ)

• हरिवेधसोः: of Hari and Vedhas (Brahmā)
• हरिवेधसोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिवेधस् (प्रातिपदिक; हरि + वेधस्)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन — genitive dual (of Hari and Brahmā)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive ‘having heard’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक) — quotative particle

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

• अपसृत्य: having withdrawn
• अपसृत्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप√सृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive ‘having withdrawn’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Adverbial (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle

• खिन्नाः: dejected
• खिन्नाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खिन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √खिद् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural; विशेषण (qualifying मुनयः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — pronoun nominative plural

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural

• अब्रुवन्: said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural imperfect

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deductive, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munaḥ (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic/divine speaker declares continual tapas for Hari and Brahmā; nearby sages, hearing it, step back with lowered gaze, their faces showing fatigue and dejection, as if their prior assumptions have been overturned.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Vedhas (Brahmā)
• Munis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as an offering aimed at divine pleasure (prīti), not mere self-power; even great beings serve one another within cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity/penance) is highlighted as a sustained spiritual discipline.