Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 918

Devanagari script

सुतार्थं सा तपस्तेपे यतवाक्कायमानसा । ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते देवदेवो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

sutārthaṃ sā tapastepe yatavākkāyamānasā | tato varṣasahasrānte devadevo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

Désireuse d’un fils, elle accomplit des austérités, la parole, le corps et l’esprit maîtrisés. Puis, au terme de mille ans, Maheśvara —le Dieu des dieux— (se manifesta/agit).

Word by Word

• सुतार्थम्: for (obtaining) a son
• सुतार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of a son)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अन्वादेश-सर्वनाम

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• तेपे: performed / practiced
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यतवाक्कायमानसा: with restrained speech, body, and mind
• यतवाक्कायमानसा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत + वाक् + काय + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सा); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: यता वाक्-काय-मानसाः यस्याः (नियत-वाक्-काय-मानस)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: at the end of a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; वर्षसहस्रस्य अन्ते (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• देवदेवः: the god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; देवानां देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नामवाचक

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Arbuda Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman ascetic performs severe tapas—standing or seated in meditation—eyes lowered, minimal adornment, surrounded by forest or mountain austerity setting; after a thousand years, Maheśvara manifests in radiant form.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused tapas with disciplined senses and mind is presented as a dharmic means to invoke divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative and does not name a specific tīrtha; it sits within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) with restraint of speech, body, and mind, undertaken with the intention of obtaining progeny.