Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तपस्सुदुश्चरं कुर्वन्न्यवसत्तपसां निधिः । दीर्घकालं तपः कुर्वन्स वै रैक्वो महामुनिः

Transliteration

tapassuduścaraṃ kurvannyavasattapasāṃ nidhiḥ | dīrghakālaṃ tapaḥ kurvansa vai raikvo mahāmuniḥ

Translation

Ce grand ascète Raikva—véritable trésor d’austérités—demeurait là, accomplissant longtemps une tapas d’une rigueur extrême.

Word by Word

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

• सुदुश्चरम्: very difficult to perform
• सुदुश्चरम्: Karma-visheshana (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष् + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (tapaḥ)

• कुर्वन्: doing/performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• अवसत्: dwelt/stayed
• अवसत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तपसाम्: of austerities
• तपसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• निधिः: a treasure/store
• निधिः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमा/विशेष्य (apposition to raikvaḥ)

• दीर्घकालम्: for a long time
• दीर्घकालम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालावधि (extent of time)

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

• कुर्वन्: performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• रैक्वः: Raikva
• रैक्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैक्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद/अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana tapas-kṣetra (Raikva-āśrama vicinity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Raikva in severe penance: seated immobile on kusa, matted hair, emaciated yet radiant; seasons passing indicated by alternating snow, rain, and blooming forest around Gandhamādana.

Characters & Entities

• Raikva
• Gandhamādana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained tapas is portrayed as a sanctifying force that deepens spiritual potency and supports tīrtha-glory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandhamādana is implicitly glorified as a seat of powerful tapas performed by great sages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No public ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights ascetic discipline (tapas) as a spiritual practice.