Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

गतासवो महात्मानो बलिप्रमुखतो ह्यमी । तपस्तप्तुं पुरा विप्रो भार्गवो मानसोत्तरम्

Transliteration

gatāsavo mahātmāno balipramukhato hyamī | tapastaptuṃ purā vipro bhārgavo mānasottaram

Translation

Jene großen Wesen — Bali voran — hatten ihr Leben verloren. Einst war der Brāhmane Bhārgava (Śukra) nach Mānasottara gegangen, um Tapas, heilige Askese, zu vollziehen.

Word by Word

• gatāsavaḥ: lifeless (whose breaths have gone)
• gatāsavaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (√gam धातु + क्त) + asu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (गताः असवो यस्य ते), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mahātmānaḥ: great-souled ones
• mahātmānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् आत्मा), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• balipramukhataḥ: headed by Bali
• balipramukhataḥ: Sambandha (Specification)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक) + pramukha (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तस्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बलेः प्रमुखाः) + तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘starting with’/‘headed by’)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis/causal)

• amī: these (those)
• amī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्: ‘तपः’ as object of infinitive)

• taptum: to perform (to practice)
• taptum: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), अर्थ: ‘तप्तुम्/कर्तुम्’

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

• vipraḥ: the Brahmin
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhārgavaḥ: Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• bhārgavaḥ: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mānasottaram: Mānasottara (mountain/region)
• mānasottaram: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (माणसात् उत्तरम्/माणसस्य उत्तरम्—place-name), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (गमन-क्रियायाः कर्म/गन्तव्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mānasottara (tapas-sthāna)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark, luminous mountain realm: Mānasottara rising beyond ordinary horizons; Śukra (Bhārgava), a radiant brāhmaṇa-sage, seated in deep austerity with disciples nearby; distant echo of war implied by fallen daityas (Bali foremost) remembered in sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Bhārgava (Śukra)
• Mānasottara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) is presented as a potent spiritual force that can alter destiny and empower extraordinary acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The overarching text is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra), while this verse mentions Mānasottara as the place of Bhārgava’s austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced generally; no specific vrata method is detailed here.