Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तपस्तेपे महाविष्णुः सुरूपार्थं च पुत्रक । वाजिमुखो हरिस्तत्र सिद्धस्थाने महाद्युते

Transliteration

tapastepe mahāviṣṇuḥ surūpārthaṃ ca putraka | vājimukho haristatra siddhasthāne mahādyute

Translation

ഹേ പുത്രകാ, മഹാവിഷ്ണു സുന്ദരരൂപം പ്രാപിക്കാനായി അവിടെ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു. ആ മഹാദ്യുതിയുള്ള സിദ്ധസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ ഹരി ‘വാജിമുഖൻ’—അശ്വമുഖൻ—രൂപത്തിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷനായി.

Word by Word

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

• तेपे: performed
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• महाविष्णुः: Mahāviṣṇu
• महाविष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् विष्णुः)

• सुरूपार्थम्: for the sake of a beautiful form
• सुरूपार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + रूप + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सुरूपस्य अर्थः/हेतुः)

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

• पुत्रक: O dear son
• पुत्रक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• वाजिमुखः: horse-faced
• वाजिमुखः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाजि + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वाजिमुखः = अश्वमुखः)

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place: there)

• सिद्धस्थाने: in the siddha-place; holy seat of siddhas
• सिद्धस्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सिद्धानां स्थानम्)

• महाद्युते: O one of great splendor
• महाद्युते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती द्युतिः यस्य)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddha-sthāna of Vājimukha Hari (within Dharmāraṇya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s narration culminates: Viṣṇu’s tapas for beautiful form results in Hari appearing as Vājimukha in a radiant siddha-sthāna.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāviṣṇu
• Hari
• Vājimukha (Aśvamukha)
• Siddhasthāna
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas transforms and reveals divine potency; sacred places are siddha-sthānas where such transformation is remembered and accessed through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya described as a radiant siddha-sthāna associated with Vājimukha Hari.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is the highlighted practice; the verse identifies the form (Vājimukha) connected to the place rather than a specific rite.