Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पंचाग्निसा धनं शुक्रे मासि सूर्येण तापिते । चक्रे सुदुःसहं राजन्देवैरपि दुरासदम्

Transliteration

paṃcāgnisā dhanaṃ śukre māsi sūryeṇa tāpite | cakre suduḥsahaṃ rājandevairapi durāsadam

Translation

ശുക്രമാസത്തിൽ സൂര്യതാപത്തിൽ ദഗ്ധനായി അവൻ ‘പഞ്ചാഗ്നി’ തപസ്സ് അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു—ഹേ രാജാവേ, അതി ദുഃസഹവും ദേവന്മാർക്കും ദുർലഭവും ആയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाग्निसा: by/with the five fires (penance)
• पञ्चाग्निसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘पञ्चाग्नि’ (पञ्च अग्नयः) इति द्विगुसमासः; करणवाचक

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• शुक्रे: in (the time of) Venus / on Friday
• शुक्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘शुक्र’ = शुक्रग्रहः (Venus)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सूर्येण: by the sun
• सूर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तापिते: heated/scorched
• तापिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तापित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘मासि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चक्रे: made/did
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सुदुःसहम्: very hard to endure
• सुदुःसहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुःसह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘धनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (even/also)

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach/attain
• दुरासदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + आसद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘धनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing a King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic performing pañcāgni-tapas: four fires at the cardinal directions and the blazing sun overhead, the ground shimmering with heat; the figure steady, eyes inward, while distant devas watch with apprehension.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (tapas) can become so intense that it shakes even the divine order; therefore tapas must be aligned with dharma and right intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Dharmāraṇya context; the sanctity is tied to the forest-region (Dharmāraṇya) rather than naming a single famous pan-Indian tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The pañcāgni observance—sitting amid four fires with the sun as the fifth heat-source—indicating extreme tapas rather than a public ritual.