Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणा नोदिता पूर्वं तपः परममाश्रिता । तपसा तेन महता कुमारं प्रति वै तदा । आगता दुहिता मृत्योः सेना नामैकसुंदरी

Transliteration

brahmaṇā noditā pūrvaṃ tapaḥ paramamāśritā | tapasā tena mahatā kumāraṃ prati vai tadā | āgatā duhitā mṛtyoḥ senā nāmaikasuṃdarī

Translation

Einst, von Brahmā angetrieben, hatte sie die höchste Askese auf sich genommen. Durch jene große Tapas-Kraft kam sie dann zu Kumāra: die Tochter des Todes, Senā genannt, von unvergleichlicher Schönheit.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• नोदिता: urged/impelled
• नोदिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-उद् (धातु) → नोदित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रेरिता’ (having been urged)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (formerly/previously)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म—आश्रिता इत्यस्य

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—तपः

• आश्रिता: having resorted to
• आश्रिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोग—‘आश्रिता’ (having resorted to)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; तपसा इत्यस्य विशेषण (by that)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण—तपसा

• कुमारम्: Kumāra
• कुमारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sampradana/Direction (प्रति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (towards/with regard to)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/indeed)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• आगता: came
• आगता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘आगता’ (having come)

• दुहिता: daughter
• दुहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मृत्योः: of Death
• मृत्योः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सेना: Senā (name/person)
• सेना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामरूपेण व्यक्तिः

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक-निपात (by name)

• एकसुंदरी: the uniquely beautiful one
• एकसुंदरी: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘एका सुन्दरी’ (a single/unique beauty)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (tapas landscape)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Senā, daughter of Mṛtyu, is introduced with her backstory: urged by Brahmā, she performed supreme austerity and now approaches Kumāra, radiant and peerlessly beautiful.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Mṛtyu
• Senā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (disciplined austerity) empowered by right intention becomes a force that shapes destiny and divine outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred region is the textual setting; this verse emphasizes tapas and arrival rather than a specific tīrtha merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is praised implicitly, but no concrete vow, bath, donation, or mantra is specified here.