Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

तपसाविष्टमनसो न पश्यंति वृषध्वजम् । सहस्रशोऽथ शतशो बहुशोऽथ य एव हि

Transliteration

tapasāviṣṭamanaso na paśyaṃti vṛṣadhvajam | sahasraśo'tha śataśo bahuśo'tha ya eva hi

Translation

Von ihrer Askese im Geist ergriffen, erblicken sie Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva mit dem Stierbanner) nicht, obgleich er in Tausenden, in Hunderten, in vielen Gestalten wahrhaft gegenwärtig ist.

Word by Word

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

• आविष्टमनसः: whose minds are absorbed
• आविष्टमनसः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु) → आविष्ट (कृदन्त) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (आविष्टं मनः येषाम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• पश्यन्ति: they see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → पश्य (वर्तमान-प्रत्यय)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वृषध्वजम्: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, whose banner is the bull)
• वृषध्वजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वृषः ध्वजः यस्य/वृषध्वजः)

• सहस्रशः: by thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: by thousands)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and)

• शतशः: by hundreds
• शतशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (by hundreds)

• बहुशः: many times
• बहुशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (many times/in many ways)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis: indeed/only)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (for/indeed)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual voice within the adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics absorbed in severe tapas sit motionless, eyes half-closed; behind and around them, Śiva as Vṛṣadhvaja appears in multiple subtle manifestations—some luminous, some shadow-like—yet unnoticed by the tapasvins.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity without right insight can still veil the divine; true seeing requires humility and correct understanding of Śiva’s pervasive presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa provides the sacred context where the text teaches how to perceive and honor Vṛṣadhvaja.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it implies that tapas should be joined with devotion and discernment to truly ‘see’ the Lord.