Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तत्तपो विपुलं दृष्ट्वा भीतः सुरपतिस्ततः । उर्वशीं प्रेषयामास तपोविघ्नाय चादरात्

Transliteration

tattapo vipulaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhītaḥ surapatistataḥ | urvaśīṃ preṣayāmāsa tapovighnāya cādarāt

Translation

Als der Herr der Götter diese gewaltige Askese sah, wurde er von Furcht ergriffen. Dann sandte er, um die Buße zu stören, ehrerbietig Urvaśī aus.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतार्थ—‘that’

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

• vipulam: great/abundant
• vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—tapaḥ

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• bhītaḥ: frightened
• bhītaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhī (भी, धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भावे—‘frightened’

• surapatiḥ: lord of the gods (Indra)
• surapatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (surāṇāṃ patiḥ)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (adverb: ‘then/thereupon’)

• urvaśīm: Urvaśī
• urvaśīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: urvaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• preṣayāmāsa: sent
• preṣayāmāsa: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√iṣ (इष्, धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त (causative): ‘caused to go/sent’

• tapovighnāya: for obstructing the austerity
• tapovighnāya: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas + vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (tapasaḥ vighnaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ādarāt: out of concern/urgency
• ādarāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Urvaśī-kuṇḍa (legendary causation)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Indra’s jeweled court, the king of gods looks anxious, glancing toward a vision of a blazing ascetic fire on Himalayan slopes; he gestures to Urvaśī, who stands poised, radiant yet dutiful, ready to depart.

Characters & Entities

• Surapati (Indra)
• Urvaśī
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great spiritual effort attracts tests; steadfastness is implied as the means to protect one’s tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The legend supports the sanctity of Urvaśī-related tīrtha (Urvaśīkuṇḍa) within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it introduces the narrative of temptation/obstruction of austerity (tapaḥ-vighna).