Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । क्रूरभावं परित्यज्य यदीच्छसि तपः सुत । अनया चित्तबुद्ध्या तत्त्वयाप्तं जन्मनः फलम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | krūrabhāvaṃ parityajya yadīcchasi tapaḥ suta | anayā cittabuddhyā tattvayāptaṃ janmanaḥ phalam

Translation

ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಓ ಸುತ, ನೀನು ತಪಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಬಯಸಿದರೆ ಕ್ರೂರಭಾವವನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸು. ಈ ಸತ್ಯಚಿತ್ತ-ಶುದ್ಧಬುದ್ಧಿಯಿಂದ ಜನ್ಮಫಲವು ಸಿದ್ಧಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• क्रूर-भावम्: cruel disposition
• क्रूर-भावम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तसूचक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• इच्छसि: you desire
• इच्छसि: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• सुत: O son
• सुत: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• अनया: by this
• अनया: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (to चित्तबुद्ध्या)

• चित्त-बुद्ध्या: with mind and understanding
• चित्त-बुद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चित्तं च बुद्धिश्च)

• तत्त्वया: truly/in accordance with reality
• तत्त्वया: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (to चित्तबुद्ध्या)

• आप्तम्: attained/obtained
• आप्तम्: Predicate participle
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• जन्मनः: of (one's) birth/life
• जन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vajrāṅga

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā raises a gentle admonishing hand, instructing the aspirant to renounce cruelty; the disciple listens with softened expression, suggesting inner turning.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Vajrāṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is not merely physical endurance; it requires moral transformation—renouncing cruelty and cultivating truth-aligned intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse highlights inner purity as the sacred ground for tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prerequisite is ethical: give up krūrabhāva (cruelty) as the qualifying discipline for any effective austerity.