Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तपस्तेपे प्रजानाथो वेदोच्चारणतत्परः । अथर्ववेदोच्चरणं यावच्चक्रे पितामहः

Transliteration

tapastepe prajānātho vedoccāraṇatatparaḥ | atharvavedoccaraṇaṃ yāvaccakre pitāmahaḥ

Translation

Der Herr der Geschöpfe übte Askese, ganz der vedischen Rezitation hingegeben. Pitāmaha fuhr fort und sprach die Atharvaveda, so lange es erforderlich war.

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• tepe: performed (austerity)
• tepe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• prajā-nāthaḥ: lord of creatures
• prajā-nāthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (prajānāṃ nāthaḥ)

• veda-uccāraṇa-tatparaḥ: intent on Vedic recitation
• veda-uccāraṇa-tatparaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + uccāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + tatpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (veda-uccāraṇe tatparaḥ)

• atharva-veda-uccaraṇam: recitation of the Atharvaveda
• atharva-veda-uccaraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atharva (प्रातिपदिक) + veda (प्रातिपदिक) + uccaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (atharvavedasya uccaraṇam)

• yāvat: until
• yāvat: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक अव्यय (until/as long as)

• cakre: did / performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• pitāmahaḥ: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः पर्यायः

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā as Prajānātha seated in austere posture, rosary and kamaṇḍalu, lips moving in Atharva-veda recitation; a subtle radiance of mantra-syllables emanates, suggesting creation about to unfold.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Prajānātha/Pitāmaha)
• Atharva Veda
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas joined with sacred sound (Veda) is a purifying discipline that aligns the practitioner with divine order and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative glorifies Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa, portraying it as a setting where tapas and divine boons are thematically central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vedic recitation—specifically Atharva Veda chanting—together with tapas (austerity) is indicated as the practice.