Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तस्यैवं तप्यमानस्य तपस्तीव्रं महात्मनः । माहिषं रूपमास्थाय निश्चक्राम धरातलात्

Transliteration

tasyaivaṃ tapyamānasya tapastīvraṃ mahātmanaḥ | māhiṣaṃ rūpamāsthāya niścakrāma dharātalāt

Translation

Während jener Großherzige so strenge Entsagung übte, nahm (der Herr) die Gestalt eines Büffels an und tauchte aus der Erdoberfläche auf.

Word by Word

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

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• तप्यमानस्य: while (he was) performing austerity / being engaged in penance
• तप्यमानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय (वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/आत्मनेपद-भावे वर्तमान कृदन्त); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (अत्र कर्मरूपेण)

• तीव्रम्: intense
• तीव्रम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• माहिषम्: buffalo-like
• माहिषम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (रूपम्)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed/taken
• आस्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त अव्ययभाव/gerund); अव्यय

• निश्चक्राम: came out, emerged
• निश्चक्राम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस्-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धरातलात्: from the surface of the earth
• धरातलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; कर्मधारय (धरायाः तलम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgādvāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the ground near the riverbank, a powerful buffalo-form bursts forth—dust and light rising—while Indra continues austerity, devas startled in awe; the moment signals Śiva’s arrival in disguise.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Indra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere austerity performed at a sacred place draws divine response; the Lord may manifest in unexpected forms to protect dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The manifestation occurs in the same tīrtha-context established at Gaṅgādvāra, reinforcing the site’s power to invoke divine presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is the operative practice; the verse illustrates its ‘phala’ (result) rather than prescribing a specific rite.