Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । आश्चर्यं परमं ब्रह्मञ्जातं मे ब्रह्मसत्तम । कथं ब्रह्मोपपन्नस्य तपश्छेदो बभूव ह

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | āścaryaṃ paramaṃ brahmañjātaṃ me brahmasattama | kathaṃ brahmopapannasya tapaśchedo babhūva ha

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണാ, ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മവിദ്യയിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനേ! എനിക്കു പരമ അത്ഭുതം തോന്നുന്നു. ബ്രഹ്മത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതനായവന്റെ തപസ്സിന് ഭംഗം എങ്ങനെ സംഭവിച്ചു?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: वच्

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘आश्चर्यम्’)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• जातम्: has arisen
• जातम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आश्चर्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (arisen)

• मे: for me / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic

• ब्रह्मसत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• ब्रह्मसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणां सत्तमः = best among Brahmins)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative adverb)

• ब्रह्मोपपन्नस्य: of one endowed with Brahman (spiritual power)
• ब्रह्मोपपन्नस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म + उपपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP: उप-√पद्/पद् → उपपन्न = endowed/attained), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणा उपपन्नः = endowed with Brahman/holy power)

• तपःछेदः: the breaking of austerity
• तपःछेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः छेदः = break/destruction of austerity)

• बभूव: happened/occurred
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: भू

• ह: indeed
• ह: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Brahman teacher (brahman, brahmasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, composed yet astonished, addresses a venerable Brahman: palms joined, eyes intent, asking how austerity could be broken in one established in Brahman.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Vyāsa (implied addressee: brahmasattama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual establishment is tested by circumstances; inquiry into how lapses occur strengthens discrimination and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question arises within the Dharmāraṇya narrative framework; the sthāla is Dharmāraṇya, presented as a place where Dharma’s subtleties are revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) is referenced conceptually, but no specific vow or rite is prescribed in this verse.