Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

यस्मिन्विप्राः संवसंति मूर्तानीव तपांसि च । चतुराशीतिसाहस्राः श्रुताध्ययनशालिनः

Transliteration

yasminviprāḥ saṃvasaṃti mūrtānīva tapāṃsi ca | caturāśītisāhasrāḥ śrutādhyayanaśālinaḥ

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് ബ്രാഹ്മണർ വസിക്കുന്നു—തപസ്സുതന്നെ മൂർത്തിയായതുപോലെ; അവർ എൺപത്തിനാലായിരം, ശ്രുതി-ജ്ഞാനവും വേദാധ്യയനവും സമ്പന്നർ।

Word by Word

• यस्मिन्: in which (place)
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-निर्देशकः सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• संवसन्ति: dwell, reside
• संवसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मूर्तानि: forms, embodiments
• मूर्तानि: Upamana/Upameya (Simile term/उपमान-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• इव: like, as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्ययम् (particle of comparison)

• तपांसि: austerities
• तपांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• चतुराशीतिसाहस्राः: eighty-four thousand
• चतुराशीतिसाहस्राः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुराशीति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; संख्या-विशेषणम्

• श्रुताध्ययनशालिनः: endowed with Vedic learning and study
• श्रुताध्ययनशालिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त/भूतकृत्) + अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक) + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; गुणवाचक-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacred settlement where countless Brahmins appear as living embodiments of austerity—calm faces, matted hair or neatly tied śikhā, holding palm-leaf manuscripts, reciting Veda in orderly groups.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāpa-grāma (implied by continuation)
• Vipra (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place is defined by living dharma—communities of tapas and śruti-study become the true ‘mūrti’ of sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalāpa-grāma is being praised as a settlement of extraordinary Vedic and ascetic excellence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse extols śruti-study and tapas as defining virtues.