Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

कथं वा पर्वतश्रेष्ठाज्जाता से वरवर्णिनि । कथं वा तपसोग्रेण संतप्तासि सुमध्यमे

Transliteration

kathaṃ vā parvataśreṣṭhājjātā se varavarṇini | kathaṃ vā tapasogreṇa saṃtaptāsi sumadhyame

Translation

Ô toi à la beauté exquise, comment es-tu née de la plus noble des montagnes ? Ô toi à la taille fine, comment as-tu été purifiée par de farouches austérités ?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adverbial (प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• वा: or; indeed
• वा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक/अनुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: or/indeed)

• पर्वतश्रेष्ठात्: from the best of mountains (Himālaya)
• पर्वतश्रेष्ठात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; पञ्चमी (Ablative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पर्वतानां श्रेष्ठः)

• जाता: born
• जाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; (agreeing with implied ‘त्वम्’)

• सा: you/that (lady)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative singular; demonstrative pronoun)

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned one
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + वर्णिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन (Vocative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (वरः वर्णः यस्याः)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adverbial (प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• वा: or; indeed
• वा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक/अनुच्चयार्थक निपात

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; षष्ठी (Genitive singular)

• उग्रेण: by fierce (austerity)
• उग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया (Instrumental singular); विशेषण (qualifying तपसा understood)

• संतप्ता: tormented; scorched
• संतप्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (agreeing with ‘त्वम्’)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुमध्यमे: O slender-waisted one
• सुमध्यमे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन (Vocative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (सुन्दरं मध्यमं यस्याः)

Speaker

Bhṛṅgi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Himalayan Śiva-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛṅgī invokes Pārvatī’s Himalayan birth and fierce austerities: the scene visually juxtaposes her serene divine beauty with faint, remembered imagery of her tapas—standing amid snow and fire of penance—questioning how such a one could utter divisive words.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛṅgi
• Pārvatī
• Himālaya (implied: parvataśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Noble birth and great tapas should culminate in steady, reverent devotion rather than contentious speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific tīrtha; it alludes to the Himalayan setting associated with Kedāra’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; tapas is referenced as a spiritual qualification, not as a detailed rite.