Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दितिरुवाच । याहि पुत्रि तपः कर्तुं तपोवनमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ditiruvāca | yāhi putri tapaḥ kartuṃ tapovanamanuttamam

Translation

Diti dit : Va, ma fille, accomplir les austérités (tapas) dans la forêt de pénitence, sans pareille.

Word by Word

• दितिः: Diti
• दितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• याहि: go
• याहि: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुत्रि: O daughter
• पुत्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

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

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• तपोवनम्: forest of penance (hermitage-forest)
• तपोवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तपसः वनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपोवनम् इति)

Speaker

Diti

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapovana (as described)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni-puṅgavas (outer audience); Diti’s daughter (inner audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Diti instructs her daughter to depart for a sacred forest; the daughter setting out with ascetic resolve—simple garments, water-pot, and a path into dense woods.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Diti's daughter (unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (disciplined austerity) is presented as a transformative response to suffering, capable of reshaping destiny and sanctifying places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it advances the etiological story that culminates in the Devīpattana/Cakratīrtha māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking tapas in a tapovana is prescribed; details of the austerity are not specified in this single verse.