Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तपनस्तप्यतेऽत्यर्थं दहनोपि हि दह्यते । यत्तीव्रतपसाद्यापि चपलाऽचपलाभवत्

Transliteration

tapanastapyate'tyarthaṃ dahanopi hi dahyate | yattīvratapasādyāpi capalā'capalābhavat

Translation

Le soleil semble brûlé à l’excès, et même le feu paraît comme consumé ; car, par la rigueur de l’ascèse, ce qui est par nature instable devint inébranlable.

Word by Word

• तपनः: the sun
• तपनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (sun)

• तप्यते: is heated
• तप्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is being heated)

• अत्यर्थम्: excessively
• अत्यर्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atyartha (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (excessively/very much)

• दहनः: fire
• दहनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (fire)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये निपातः (indeed/for)

• दह्यते: is burnt
• दह्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is being burnt)

• यत्: since/because
• यत्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक (because/that which) — अत्र कारणार्थे ‘यत्’ (since)

• तीव्र: intense
• तीव्र: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīvra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘तीव्र-तपस्’ इत्यत्र विशेषणम् (intense)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• आद्य: formerly/from the beginning
• आद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग/पदविशेषणम्; ‘आद्यापि’ इत्यत्र ‘even from the beginning/though formerly’ अर्थे

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-अव्ययम् (even/also)

• चपला: restless (she/it)
• चपला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: capalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (restless)

• अचपला: unresting/steady
• अचपला: Karma (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-capalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (negated adjective)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (became)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A paradoxical tableau: the ascetic’s fierce tapas makes the sun seem scorched and fire seem burned; the restless becomes unmoving—depicted as a calm center amid overwhelming heat.

Characters & Entities

• Sun (Tapana)
• Fire (Dahana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is transformative: it can steady even the naturally restless, surpassing ordinary heat symbolized by sun and fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The implied setting remains Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where such tapas is celebrated as especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is tīvra-tapas (intense austerity) aimed at conquering capalatā (restlessness) and establishing steadiness.