Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तपसा स हिदीप्तोऽभूत्त्रैलोक्यदहनात्मकः । स च वव्रे वधं दैत्यः शिशतः सप्तवासरात्

Transliteration

tapasā sa hidīpto'bhūttrailokyadahanātmakaḥ | sa ca vavre vadhaṃ daityaḥ śiśataḥ saptavāsarāt

Translation

തപസ്സാൽ അവൻ ദീപ്തനായി, ത്രിലോകം ദഹിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ശക്തിയുള്ളവനായി. ആ ദൈത്യൻ വരമായി—ഏഴ് ദിവസമുള്ള ശിശുവിന്റെ കൈയാൽ തന്നെ എന്റെ വധം സംഭവിക്കട്ടെ എന്നു അപേക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity, through penance
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति; एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by/with austerity)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — Nominative singular (he)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• दीप्तः: blazing, radiant
• दीप्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (कृदन्त; √दीप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — Past passive participle, nominative singular (having become blazing)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person singular (became)

• त्रैलोक्य-दहन-आत्मकः: having the nature of burning the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य-दहन-आत्मकः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दहन (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थः: ‘त्रैलोक्यस्य दहनं यस्य आत्मा/स्वभावः’ (whose nature is the burning of the three worlds)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — Nominative singular (he)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• वव्रे: chose, requested
• वव्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु; वरणे)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular (chose/asked for)

• वधम्: slaying, death
• वधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन — Accusative singular (slaying)

• दैत्यः: the demon
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — Nominative singular (the demon)

• शिशतः: of a child
• शिशतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन — Genitive singular (of a child)

• सप्त-वासरात्: from (after) seven days
• सप्त-वासरात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन — Ablative singular; द्विगु-समास: ‘सप्त वासराः’ (seven days)

Speaker

Brahmā (Svayambhū), speaking to the Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing ascetic demon (Tāraka) performing fierce tapas, radiating heat as if scorching the three worlds, while he petitions for a peculiar death-condition: only a seven-day-old child can slay him.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Tapas
• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Seven-day child (Sapta-dina-śiśu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas amplifies power, but without dharma it becomes destructive; divine justice often works through seemingly impossible conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; this verse explains the boon-mechanism behind Tāraka’s downfall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is mentioned descriptively, not as a prescription for the listener.