Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्यापुत्रस्य पुत्रार्थे रुद्रान्संजपतः किल । गतं वर्षशतं तुष्टस्ततस्तं प्राह शंकरः

Transliteration

tasyāputrasya putrārthe rudrānsaṃjapataḥ kila | gataṃ varṣaśataṃ tuṣṭastatastaṃ prāha śaṃkaraḥ

Translation

彼は子がなかったため、子を得んとしてルドラのジャパをひたすらに行ったという。百年が過ぎたとき、満悦したシャンカラは彼に告げられた。

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपुत्रस्य: of the sonless (man)
• अपुत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (one who is without a son)

• पुत्रार्थे: for the sake of a son
• पुत्रार्थे: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (for the purpose)

• रुद्रान्: Rudras / Rudra (mantras)
• रुद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• संजपतः: of (him) who was continuously reciting
• संजपतः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√जप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle) 'संजपत्'; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (genitive absolute/relational)

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; reportative/emphatic)

• गतम्: passed, elapsed
• गतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षशत (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √तुष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (शंकरस्य) विशेषणम्

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राह: said, spoke to
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अह्/ब्रू (धातु; 'आह' from √अह्)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Pāṇḍava-line prince (pāṇḍukula-udvaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Māṃṭi, aged by a century of austerity, continues Rudra-japa with unwavering focus; then Śaṅkara manifests before him, radiant and compassionate, signaling the end of the long wait.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Rudra
• Māṃṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Long-term tapas and mantra-japa, sustained with purpose and devotion, culminate in Śiva’s direct compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative is situated in Vārāṇasī, reinforcing Kāśī as a powerful field for japa and divine response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃjapa of Rudra (repeated, focused chanting) undertaken as a vow-like austerity for putra-prāpti (obtaining a son).