Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तत्र ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । प्रातप्यत तपो घोरं परमं दुष्करं महत्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tatra brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | prātapyata tapo ghoraṃ paramaṃ duṣkaraṃ mahat

Translation

ആ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് ലോകപിതാമഹനായ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് അവിടെയേ അത്യന്തം ഘോരവും പരമവും അതിദുഷ്കരവും മഹത്തുമായ തപസ്സിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘श्रुत्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (Converb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु) → śrutvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूप कृदन्त (gerund/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• vacanam: the statement/words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (श्रुत्वा)

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

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• lokapitāmahaḥ: grandfather of the worlds
• lokapitāmahaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः उपाधिः

• prātapyata: practised/underwent (austerity)
• prātapyata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (तप्यते-रूपम्)

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

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

• duṣkaram: hard to do
• duṣkaram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣ-kara (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

• mahat: great
• mahat: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā seated in unwavering meditation atop the lotus, posture firm; the environment remains vast and empty, but a subtle aura grows around him, suggesting accumulating tapas-śakti.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great responsibilities require purification and steadiness; tapas is portrayed as the foundation of cosmic and personal order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it remains within the Dharmāraṇya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking intense tapas (austerity) as a spiritual discipline.