Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

भगीरथेन भूपेन प्रार्थितो ज्ञाति कारणात् । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु तपस्तप्त्वा सुदारुणम्

Transliteration

bhagīrathena bhūpena prārthito jñāti kāraṇāt | divyaṃ varṣasahasraṃ tu tapastaptvā sudāruṇam

Translation

Auf Bitten des Königs Bhagīratha, um der Ahnen willen, vollzog er eine äußerst strenge Askese tausend göttliche Jahre lang.

Word by Word

• भगीरथेन: by Bhagiratha
• भगीरथेन: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगीरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• भूपेन: by the king
• भूपेन: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रार्थितः: (I was) entreated / requested
• प्रार्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रार्थित (प्रातिपदिक; प्र√अर्थ् क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• ज्ञाति: of (his) kinsmen
• ज्ञाति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• कारणात्: because of / due to
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifies varṣasahasram)

• वर्षसहस्रम्: a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); द्विगु-समासः (सहस्रं वर्षाणाम्)

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोध-अव्यय (particle)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• तप्त्वा: having performed (austerity)
• तप्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सुदारुणम्: very severe
• सुदारुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies tapas)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-avataraṇa (Bhagīratha-prayāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Bhagīratha, emaciated yet radiant, stands in severe penance for a thousand divine years, hands raised or in meditation, surrounded by austere landscape; gods observe, moved by his purpose for ancestors.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• Ancestors (pitṛs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Selfless effort (tapas) undertaken for the welfare of one’s lineage becomes a powerful dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative glorifies Gaṅgā-related tīrthas through the origin-story of her descent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) is highlighted as the means to obtain divine grace; no specific vow-ritual is detailed here.