Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तपोभंगं प्रकुरुते कंपयित्वा महासुरम् । ताडयंति शरीरे तं मुष्टिभिस्तीक्ष्णकर्कशैः

Transliteration

tapobhaṃgaṃ prakurute kaṃpayitvā mahāsuram | tāḍayaṃti śarīre taṃ muṣṭibhistīkṣṇakarkaśaiḥ

Translation

അവർ മഹാസുരനെ കുലുക്കി അവന്റെ തപസ്സ് ഭംഗപ്പെടുത്തി; പിന്നെ കഠിനവും തീക്ഷ്ണവും കർക്കശവുമായ മുഷ്ടിഘാതങ്ങളാൽ അവന്റെ ശരീരം അടിച്ചു തകർത്തു।

Word by Word

• तपोभङ्गम्: breaking of austerity
• तपोभङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः भङ्गः)

• प्रकुरुते: does, causes
• प्रकुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कम्पयित्वा: having shaken
• कम्पयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्यय-कृदन्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; causative sense in usage: ‘having made tremble’

• महासुरम्: the great demon
• महासुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् असुरः)

• ताडयन्ति: they strike
• ताडयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शरीरे: on the body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुष्टिभिः: with fists
• मुष्टिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• तीक्ष्णकर्कशैः: sharp and harsh
• तीक्ष्णकर्कशैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्कश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (तीक्ष्णैः च कर्कशैः च) विशेषणम् (मुष्टिभिः)

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great Asura in austerity is violently shaken; divine figures strike him with hard, sharp fists, breaking the stillness of meditation; dust, tremor, and shock dominate the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (implied agent of disruption)
• Lohāsura (mahāsura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity can be externally obstructed, but Purāṇic ethics ultimately judge the inner purpose and the dharmic outcome of such power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised directly; the scene occurs in an ascetic setting (āśrama/forest) associated with sacred practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates violent interruption of tapas.