Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तपसा च तदा शंभुस्तोषितः शशिशे खरः । तत्राजगाम जटिलो भस्मांगो वृषभध्वजः

Transliteration

tapasā ca tadā śaṃbhustoṣitaḥ śaśiśe kharaḥ | tatrājagāma jaṭilo bhasmāṃgo vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ തപസ്സാൽ ശംഭു പ്രസന്നനായി; തുടർന്ന് ചന്ദ്രശേഖരനായ ഉഗ്രപ്രഭു—ജടാധാരി, ഭസ്മലിപ്തൻ, വൃഷഭധ്വജൻ—അവിടെ എത്തി।

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तोषितः: pleased
• तोषितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शम्भुः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शशिशे: O moon-like one (vocative)
• शशिशे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठान्तर/अर्थानुसार) सम्बोधनम्

• खरः: Khara (name/epithet)
• खरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सम्बोधनसमीपे) विशेषण/उपाधि-शब्दः सम्भाव्यः

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

• आजगाम: came
• आजगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जटिलः: matted-haired
• जटिलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आगन्ता-विशेषणम्

• भस्म-अङ्गः: ash-smeared-bodied
• भस्म-अङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: भस्माङ्गं यस्य सः (whose body is smeared with ash)

• वृषभ-ध्वजः: bull-bannered (Śiva)
• वृषभ-ध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: वृषभध्वजो यस्य सः (whose banner bears a bull)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-darśana-sthāna in Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (royal listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva arrives in the forest clearing: jaṭā piled, body smeared with bhasma, crescent moon on the head, bull emblem present; the air charged with sacred dread and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity offered with devotion culminates in divine grace—Śiva responds by direct presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The appearance occurs at the Indrasara/Indreśvara locale being narrated in Adhyāya 19.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is shown as the effective means to please Śiva; the verse itself describes the result—Śiva’s arrival.