Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

नृपो भगीरथस्तस्मात्तपः कृत्वा सुदुष्करम् । समाराध्य जगन्नाथं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम्

Transliteration

nṛpo bhagīrathastasmāttapaḥ kṛtvā suduṣkaram | samārādhya jagannāthaṃ śaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaram

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് രാജാവ് ഭഗീരഥൻ അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്ത്, ജഗന്നാഥനും ലോകഹിതകാരിയും ആയ ശങ്കരനെ സമ്യകമായി ആരാധിച്ച് പ്രസന്നനാക്കി.

Word by Word

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भगीरथः: Bhagīratha
• भगीरथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगीरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नृपस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that (cause)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• समाराध्य: having propitiated
• समाराध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• जगन्नाथम्: Lord of the world
• जगन्नाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘जगन्नाथ’ = जगतः नाथः

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जगन्नाथस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• लोकशङ्करम्: benefactor of the world
• लोकशङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लोकशङ्कर’ = लोकस्य शङ्करः (benefactor of the world)

Speaker

Gaṅgā (continuing her account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-avataraṇa (Bhagīratha-kathā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu (and the audience within the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Bhagīratha in austere posture performs severe tapas; Śiva appears, compassionate yet majestic, granting the boon to bear Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary spiritual aims (like sanctifying the earth) are achieved through severe tapas and sincere propitiation of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Gaṅgā-avatara tradition, foundational to many Gaṅgā tirthas; here it is narrated within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas and ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of Śaṅkara are indicated.