Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तपश्चक्रे चिरं कालं ध्यायमानः पितामहम् । त्यक्त्वा कामं तथा क्रोधं दंभं मत्सरमेव च

Transliteration

tapaścakre ciraṃ kālaṃ dhyāyamānaḥ pitāmaham | tyaktvā kāmaṃ tathā krodhaṃ daṃbhaṃ matsarameva ca

Translation

Longtemps il pratiqua l’ascèse, méditant sur Pitāmaha (Brahmā), après avoir rejeté le désir, la colère, l’hypocrisie et aussi l’envie.

Word by Word

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

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: for a long time)

• कालम्: time/period
• कालम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कालपरिमाणे)

• ध्यायमानः: meditating
• ध्यायमानः: Karta (Agent, participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि ‘meditating’

• पितामहम्: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object of meditation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having abandoned’

• कामम्: desire
• कामम्: Karma (Object abandoned)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/and also)

• क्रोधम्: anger
• क्रोधम्: Karma (Object abandoned)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दंभम्: hypocrisy/pretence
• दंभम्: Karma (Object abandoned)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मत्सरम्: envy
• मत्सरम्: Karma (Object abandoned)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle: indeed/just)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda in forest austerity: seated in padmāsana, eyes half-closed, visualized Brahmā (Pitāmaha) above or within a lotus; the four inner foes depicted as fading shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas becomes fruitful when inner enemies—desire, anger, hypocrisy, and envy—are renounced.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-setting is implied by the Tīrthamāhātmya section, but this verse itself does not name a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative tapas (dhyāna) is indicated, along with ethical purification through abandoning negative traits.