Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वत्सराणां सहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च । शंकते भगवानिंद्रो भीतस्तस्य तपोबलात्

Transliteration

vatsarāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi prayutānyarbudāni ca | śaṃkate bhagavāniṃdro bhītastasya tapobalāt

Translation

Pendant des milliers d’années—des dizaines de milliers et même des crores—il persévéra ; et le vénérable Indra s’inquiéta, effrayé par la puissance née de cette austérité.

Word by Word

• वत्सराणाम्: of years
• वत्सराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रयुतानि: ten-millions (prayutas)
• प्रयुतानि: Karma (Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अर्बुदानि: hundred-millions (arbudas)
• अर्बुदानि: Karma (Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शङ्कते: fears/suspects
• शङ्कते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शङ्क् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• भगवान्: the venerable
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (इन्द्रः)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भीतः: afraid
• भीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त; भी धातोः)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (इन्द्रः)

• तस्य: of him (of that one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपोबलात्: because of (his) power of austerity
• तपोबलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तपो-बल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīra (implied)

Type: riverbank/ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like sense of immense time: Lohāsura unmoving in austerity as seasons pass; in Svarga, Indra watches anxiously, throne trembling metaphorically.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Lohāsura (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is depicted as a formidable force that can disturb cosmic governance when pursued for domination rather than dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No new site is named in this verse; it continues the austerity narrative connected to the Sarasvatī region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes prolonged tapas; no specific rite is prescribed.