Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एव शापं ददौ तेषां सुराणां सा तपस्विनी । प्रवीश्याश्वत्थमूले सा स्वोदरं दारयत्तदा

Transliteration

eva śāpaṃ dadau teṣāṃ surāṇāṃ sā tapasvinī | pravīśyāśvatthamūle sā svodaraṃ dārayattadā

Translation

So sprach jene Asketin den Fluch über die Götter. Dann begab sie sich unter die Wurzel der heiligen Aśvattha (Pipal) und riss in eben diesem Augenblick ihren eigenen Schoß auf.

Word by Word

• एव: thus
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = ‘thus/indeed’

• शापम्: curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ददौ: gave/uttered
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘of them’

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तपस्विनी: the ascetic woman
• तपस्विनी: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘female ascetic’

• प्रवीश्य: having entered
• प्रवीश्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) → प्रवीश्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) = ‘having entered’

• अश्वत्थ-मूले: at the aśvattha root
• अश्वत्थ-मूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘अश्वत्थस्य मूलम्’ → ‘at the root of the aśvattha tree’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्व-उदरम्: her own belly
• स्व-उदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘स्वम् उदरम्’ = ‘her own belly’

• दारयत्: tore open
• दारयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दॄ (धातु; दारणे)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘split/tore’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = ‘then’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha-mūla tīrtha (contextual, unnamed)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a massive aśvattha tree with spreading roots, Suvarcā—radiant with ascetic power—enters the root-space and performs a terrifying act of opening her womb; the scene is both tragic and numinous, with nature reacting (stillness, darkened sky).

Characters & Entities

• Sura (Devas)
• Tapasvinī
• Aśvattha (Pippala) tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas and truthfulness are portrayed as forces so potent that even the gods must answer to them; dharma is upheld through austerity and resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedāra-khaṇḍa (Kedārakṣetra/Himalayan sacred geography), while this verse specifically highlights the sanctity of the aśvattha (pipal) as a sacred locus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse is narrative, emphasizing tapas and the sacredness of the aśvattha.