Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तावन्मया स्थानमाप्तं यदतीव सुदुर्लभम् । इदानीं ब्राह्मणार्थेऽहं कुर्वे तावदुपक्रमम्

Transliteration

tāvanmayā sthānamāptaṃ yadatīva sudurlabham | idānīṃ brāhmaṇārthe'haṃ kurve tāvadupakramam

Translation

Ainsi ai-je atteint un état extrêmement difficile à obtenir. À présent, pour le bien des brāhmaṇas, j’entreprendrai l’œuvre nécessaire.

Word by Word

• tāvat: so far/that much
• tāvat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रमाण/अवधि (so much/so far)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in instrumental/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभाव (by me)

• sthānam: place
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• āptam: obtained
• āptam: Karma-visheshana (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āpta (प्रातिपदिक; √āp क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मविशेषण (obtained)

• yat: which
• yat: Anuyogi (Relative pronoun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-निर्देश (which)

• atīva: very
• atīva: Kriya/Guṇa-visheshana (Intensifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तीव्रतार्थक (intensifier)

• sudurlabham: very difficult to obtain
• sudurlabham: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying sthānam)

• idānīm: now
• idānīm: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: idānīm (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: now)

• brāhmaṇārthe: for the sake of a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇārthe: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अर्थे = हेतु/प्रयोजन (for the sake of the brāhmaṇa)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• kurve: I do/undertake
• kurve: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tāvat: to that extent/so much
• tāvat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावत् = 'so much/for that extent' (correlative)

• upakramam: beginning/undertaking
• upakramam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upakrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim/hero stands at a hard-won sacred spot, expressing resolve; nearby are brāhmaṇas or a hermitage setting, suggesting imminent charity/ritual commencement.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fruit of reaching a sacred place should culminate in dharmic action—especially service and giving aligned with righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to an exceedingly rare 'place' but does not name the tīrtha in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general resolve toward brāhmaṇa-artham (acts done for the welfare of brāhmaṇas), implying dāna and support.