Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मापि तपसा युक्तस्तेपे वर्षशतत्रयम् । तिष्ठन्नेव पुरो विष्णोर्विष्णुमायाविमोहितः

Transliteration

brahmāpi tapasā yuktastepe varṣaśatatrayam | tiṣṭhanneva puro viṣṇorviṣṇumāyāvimohitaḥ

Translation

Brahmā aussi, uni à l’austérité, accomplit le tapas durant trois cents ans—demeurant debout devant Viṣṇu, et pourtant encore troublé par la māyā de Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even particle)

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• yuktaḥ: endowed; engaged
• yuktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• tepe: performed (penance)
• tepe: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular)

• varṣa-śata-trayam: three hundred years
• varṣa-śata-trayam: Karma (Measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वक); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• tiṣṭhan: standing
• tiṣṭhan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Concomitant action)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• eva: just; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (Emphasis)

• puraḥ: in front
• puraḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puraḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (Adverb: 'in front')

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• viṣṇu-māyā-vimohitaḥ: deluded by Viṣṇu’s māyā
• viṣṇu-māyā-vimohitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-mohita (मुह्-धातोः क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle as adjective); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (tapas-bhūmi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā stands in prolonged austerity before Viṣṇu for three hundred years; despite tapas, a veil of māyā lingers—shown as a subtle mist or shimmering screen between them.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity alone is not sufficient if māyā still veils insight; humility and divine grace complete spiritual understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya setting continues; the prolonged tapas underscores the sanctity of the place and the gravity of the tīrtha-linked episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (long austerity) is described, highlighting sustained spiritual discipline.