Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सभाजितः शिवस्तैश्च गौरी ह्रीणा त्वधोमुखी । तपस्तेपे च तत्रस्था शंकरादेशकारिणी

Transliteration

sabhājitaḥ śivastaiśca gaurī hrīṇā tvadhomukhī | tapastepe ca tatrasthā śaṃkarādeśakāriṇī

Translation

അവർ ശിവനെ ആദരിച്ചു; ഗൗരി ലജ്ജയോടെ തലകുനിഞ്ഞു. ശങ്കരന്റെ ആജ്ഞ പാലിച്ച് അവിടെ തന്നെ പാർത്ത് അവൾ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• sabhājitaḥ: honoured, received respectfully
• sabhājitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-√bhaj (धातु) → sabhājita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'शिवः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

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

• gaurī: Gaurī
• gaurī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• hrīṇā: ashamed, bashful
• hrīṇā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √hrī (धातु) → hrīṇa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'गौरी' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• adho-mukhī: with face turned downward
• adho-mukhī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhas (अव्यय) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'गौरी' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• tepe: she performed (austerity)
• tepe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्ष/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

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

• tatra-sthā: standing there, remaining there
• tatra-sthā: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatra (अव्यय) + √sthā (धातु) → stha (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'गौरी' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• śaṃkara-ādeśa-kāriṇī: one who carries out Śaṅkara's command
• śaṃkara-ādeśa-kāriṇī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādeśa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'गौरी' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapas-sthāna of Gaurī in Dharmāraṇya (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas and sādhakas honor Śiva; beside him, Gaurī stands bashful with lowered face, then sits in a composed posture to perform tapas in the same place—quiet, resolute, and obedient to Śaṅkara’s command.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaurī
• Śaṅkara
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility, obedience to divine instruction, and steadfast tapas are presented as sanctifying forces within a holy landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sacred setting where Gaurī’s austerity is situated, strengthening its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is emphasized generally; specific rites are detailed in subsequent verses.