Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

तत्र तेपे तपः साध्वी निराहाराऽश्वरूपिणी । एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवि तस्याश्छाया विवस्वतः

Transliteration

tatra tepe tapaḥ sādhvī nirāhārā'śvarūpiṇī | etasminnaṃtare devi tasyāśchāyā vivasvataḥ

Translation

Dort übte die tugendhafte Frau, in der Gestalt einer Stute, Askese ohne Nahrung. Währenddessen, o Göttin, blieb ihr Schatten (Chāyā) bei Vivasvān (Sūrya).

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — 3rd person singular, perfect, middle

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/कर्म (२), एकवचन — neuter, accusative singular (object)

• साध्वी: the virtuous woman
• साध्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular

• निराहारा: fasting, without food
• निराहारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (आहारस्य अभावः) — ‘without food’

• अश्व-रूपिणी: mare-formed
• अश्व-रूपिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular; समासः तत्पुरुष (अश्वस्य रूपं यस्याः) — ‘having the form of a mare’

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (७), एकवचन — neuter, locative singular (in this)

• अन्तरे: in the meantime, in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (७), एकवचन — neuter, locative singular; ‘in the interval/meanwhile’

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (८), एकवचन — feminine, vocative singular

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (६), एकवचन — feminine, genitive singular

• छाया: shadow
• छाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (१), एकवचन — feminine, nominative singular

• विवस्वतः: of Vivasvat (the Sun)
• विवस्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (६), एकवचन — masculine, genitive singular

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) as narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a remote northern realm, Saṃjñā in mare-form stands in austere stillness, emaciated yet radiant, practicing foodless tapas; simultaneously, a shadowy feminine figure (Chāyā) remains beside Sūrya in a sunlit palace, maintaining household presence.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃjñā (implied)
• Chāyā
• Vivasvān (Sūrya)
• tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) is presented as a transformative spiritual force, even amid complex worldly duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The māhātmya’s sacred frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, but this verse locates the episode in the cosmic north near Uttara Kuru rather than a named earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting (nirāhāra) as part of tapas is described, though not as a general public injunction.