Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तेन वै सुतपस्तप्तं दशवर्षशतानि हि । तस्य तुष्टोऽभवद्ब्रह्मा नियमेन दमेन च

Transliteration

tena vai sutapastaptaṃ daśavarṣaśatāni hi | tasya tuṣṭo'bhavadbrahmā niyamena damena ca

Translation

അവൻ തീർച്ചയായും ദശവർഷശതങ്ങളായി, അഥവാ ആയിരം വർഷം, കഠിന തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു. അവന്റെ നിയമവും ദമവും കണ്ടു ബ്രഹ്മാവ് സന്തുഷ്ടനായി।

Word by Word

• तेन: by him / with that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सुतपः: severe austerity
• सुतपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तप्तम्: was performed / was undergone
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दशवर्षशतानि: hundreds of ten years (i.e., many centuries)
• दशवर्षशतानि: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हि: for / indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (causal/emphatic particle)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु) → तुष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नियमेन: by discipline / through observance
• नियमेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Means/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• दमेन: by self-control
• दमेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Means/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

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

Speaker

Devas (speaking to Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bāṇa performs fierce austerities for a thousand years—emaciated yet blazing with inner heat—while Brahmā appears, serene and radiant, acknowledging the power of discipline and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa
• Brahmā
• Devas
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas has real potency; discipline can yield cosmic results, but its fruits must be guided by dharma to avoid harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is specified; the verse explains the backstory of the threat within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity characterized by niyama (observances) and dama (self-control) is referenced, but no specific vow or rite is detailed.