Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । यदा संज्ञा च राजेंद्र सूर्यार्थंं चैकचेतसा । तेपे बकुलवृक्षाधः पत्युस्तेजः प्रशां तये

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | yadā saṃjñā ca rājeṃdra sūryārthaṃṃ caikacetasā | tepe bakulavṛkṣādhaḥ patyustejaḥ praśāṃ taye

Translation

വ്യാസൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ, സൂര്യന്റെ ഹിതത്തിനായി സംജ്ഞ ഏകാഗ്രചിത്തയായി ബകുലവൃക്ഷത്തിൻ കീഴിൽ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തപ്പോൾ, അത് ഭർത്താവിന്റെ ദഹിക്കുന്ന തേജസ്സിനെ ശമിപ്പിക്കാനായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal conjunction/adverb)

• संज्ञा: Saṃjñā (name of a person)
• संज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• राजेन्द्र: O king
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘राज्ञां इन्द्रः’ (king of kings)

• सूर्यार्थम्: for the Sun’s sake
• सूर्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘सूर्यस्य अर्थः’ (for the sake of the Sun)

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

• एकचेतसा: with single-minded focus
• एकचेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘एकं चेतः यस्याः/यस्य’—with single-mindedness

• तेपे: performed austerity
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• बकुलवृक्षाधः: under the bakula tree
• बकुलवृक्षाधः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अधस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable adverbial), अर्थः—‘बकुलवृक्षस्य अधः’

• पत्युः: of (her) husband
• पत्युः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेजः: splendour / energy
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रशान्तये: for pacification
• प्रशान्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bakulārka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Saṃjñā sits in austerity beneath a flowering bakula tree, hands in japa-mudrā; the Sun’s fierce radiance appears above, gradually softening as her tapas continues.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Saṃjñā
• Sūrya (Ravi)
• Bakulavṛkṣa (bakula tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas undertaken with focused intention can harmonize overwhelming power, turning fierce tejas into благful, life-supporting radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bakula tree setting becomes the sacred marker for Bakulārka’s māhātmya within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and one-pointed devotion are described as the means by which Saṃjñā sought pacification of Sūrya’s tejas.