Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एतेषां तपसा चैतद्धार्यते भुवनत्रयम् । उत्पाद्य ब्रह्मणा पूर्वमेते प्रोक्ता महर्षयः

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ tapasā caitaddhāryate bhuvanatrayam | utpādya brahmaṇā pūrvamete proktā maharṣayaḥ

Translation

ಈ ಮಹಾತ್ಮರ ತಪಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದಲೇ ತ್ರಿಭುವನ ಧಾರಣವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಪೂರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನು ಅವರನ್ನು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಿ ‘ಮಹರ್ಷಿಗಳು’ ಎಂದು ಘೋಷಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धार्यते: is sustained/borne
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• भुवनत्रयम्: the three worlds
• भुवनत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रयाणां भुवनानाम्)

• उत्पाद्य: having produced
• उत्पाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्ताः: were declared/told
• प्रोक्ताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, seated on a lotus, gestures in proclamation as a circle of newly created sages radiate ascetic brilliance; the triple world symbolically rests upon their tapas like a subtle cosmic pillar.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Maharṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is not merely personal discipline; it becomes a cosmic support that upholds the worlds when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī/Avimukta narrative frame, preparing for the Avimukta-kṣetra’s liṅga and tīrtha praises.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; austerity (tapas) is praised as the sustaining spiritual practice.