Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

प्राप्य तत्कंदरं दैत्यश्चकार विपुलं तपः । वहन्पाशुपतीं दीक्षां पंच मंत्राञ्जजाप सः

Transliteration

prāpya tatkaṃdaraṃ daityaścakāra vipulaṃ tapaḥ | vahanpāśupatīṃ dīkṣāṃ paṃca maṃtrāñjajāpa saḥ

Translation

Having reached that cave, the Daitya undertook immense austerity. Bearing the Pāśupata initiation, he continually recited the five mantras.

Word by Word

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग); ल्यप्-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having obtained/reached’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (neuter accusative singular; demonstrative)

• कन्दरम्: cave
• कन्दरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• दैत्यः: the demon
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• चकार: did, performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु), लिट् (परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person singular, active)

• विपुलम्: great, abundant
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter accusative singular; adjective)

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

• वहन्: bearing, observing
• वहन्: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वह् (धातु) शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘carrying/observing’ (present active participle, masc nom sg)

• पाशुपतीम्: Pāśupata (pertaining to Paśupati)
• पाशुपतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine accusative singular; adjectival)

• दीक्षाम्: initiation
• दीक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine accusative singular)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे (numeral used indeclinably: five)

• मन्त्रान्: mantras
• मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine accusative plural)

• जजाप: chanted, muttered
• जजाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु), लिट् (परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person singular, active)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (masculine nominative singular; pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful daitya seated at a cave entrance or deep within, ash-smeared, holding a rudrākṣa mālā, posture steady; subtle Śaiva emblems suggest Pāśupata dīkṣā; the cave glows with mantra-heat.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Pāśupata-dīkṣā
• Five mantras (pañca-mantrāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas combined with dīkṣā and disciplined japa is presented as a potent means to obtain extraordinary results—though the moral outcome depends on intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The cave on Mount Pāriyātra is implied as a powerful tapas-site (tapas-sthāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Pāśupata dīkṣā and sustained recitation (japa) of five mantras.