Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

सुदुस्तरं नाम तपस्तेन तप्तं महत्पुरा । त्रीणि वर्षसहस्राणि दिव्यानि सुरसुंदरि

Transliteration

sudustaraṃ nāma tapastena taptaṃ mahatpurā | trīṇi varṣasahasrāṇi divyāni surasuṃdari

Translation

O fair celestial lady, he performed a mighty austerity called ‘Sudustara’, hard indeed to endure, for three thousand divine years.

Word by Word

• सुदुस्तरम्: very hard (to endure)
• सुदुस्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + दुस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—तपः (‘very difficult to cross/endure’)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): नामनिर्देश/विशेषण—‘named/called’

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

• तेन: by that (austerity)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम—अत्र ‘तपसा’ इत्यर्थे

• तप्तम्: performed, practiced
• तप्तम्: Karma (Predicate to object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle, क्त): नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तपः-विशेषण—‘performed/undertaken’

• महत्पुरा: long ago
• महत्पुरा: Adhikarana (Temporal context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: पुरा (अव्यय, adverb) with महत् as intensifier: ‘long ago/for a very long time’ (पाठव्याख्या)

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण—वर्षसहस्राणि

• वर्षसहस्राणि: thousands of years
• वर्षसहस्राणि: Karma (Measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थ): ‘वर्षाणां सहस्राणि’ (thousands of years); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (कालपरिमाण)

• दिव्यानि: divine
• दिव्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण—वर्षसहस्राणि

• सुरसुन्दरि: O beautiful one among the gods
• सुरसुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘सुरेषु सुन्दरी’/‘सुर-सुन्दरी’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as surasundarī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atri’s prolonged austerity ‘Sudustara’ over three thousand divine years—depict time passing: changing seasons, sun/moon cycles, yet the rishi remains unwavering in the sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Sudustara (tapas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary spiritual attainments arise from long, disciplined tapas undertaken with unwavering resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the narrative setting, where the Māhātmya frames events as sanctifying the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse mentions a specific austerity (Sudustara tapas), not a public ritual like dāna or snāna.