Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तत्तपो विपुलं दृष्ट्वा भीतः सुरपतिस्ततः । उर्वशीं प्रेषयामास तपोविघ्नाय चादरात्

Transliteration

tattapo vipulaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhītaḥ surapatistataḥ | urvaśīṃ preṣayāmāsa tapovighnāya cādarāt

Translation

Voyant cette immense austérité, le seigneur des dieux fut saisi de crainte. Alors, afin d’entraver la pénitence, il dépêcha Urvaśī avec déférence.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतार्थ—‘that’

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vipulam: great/abundant
• vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—tapaḥ

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• bhītaḥ: frightened
• bhītaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhī (भी, धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भावे—‘frightened’

• surapatiḥ: lord of the gods (Indra)
• surapatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (surāṇāṃ patiḥ)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (adverb: ‘then/thereupon’)

• urvaśīm: Urvaśī
• urvaśīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: urvaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• preṣayāmāsa: sent
• preṣayāmāsa: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√iṣ (इष्, धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त (causative): ‘caused to go/sent’

• tapovighnāya: for obstructing the austerity
• tapovighnāya: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas + vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (tapasaḥ vighnaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ādarāt: out of concern/urgency
• ādarāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Urvaśī-kuṇḍa (legendary causation)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Indra’s jeweled court, the king of gods looks anxious, glancing toward a vision of a blazing ascetic fire on Himalayan slopes; he gestures to Urvaśī, who stands poised, radiant yet dutiful, ready to depart.

Characters & Entities

• Surapati (Indra)
• Urvaśī
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great spiritual effort attracts tests; steadfastness is implied as the means to protect one’s tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The legend supports the sanctity of Urvaśī-related tīrtha (Urvaśīkuṇḍa) within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it introduces the narrative of temptation/obstruction of austerity (tapaḥ-vighna).