Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तपस्तताप सुमहत्सर्वेषां दुरतिक्रमम् । बटो जानीहि मे वाक्यं नान्यथा मम भाषितम्

Transliteration

tapastatāpa sumahatsarveṣāṃ duratikramam | baṭo jānīhi me vākyaṃ nānyathā mama bhāṣitam

Translation

അവൾ അതിമഹത്തായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു; അത് എല്ലാവർക്കും അതിക്രമിക്കാൻ ദുഷ്കരം. ഹേ ബടു, എന്റെ വാക്ക് അറിയുക—എന്റെ പ്രസ്താവം മറ്റഥയല്ല.

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• तताप: performed austerity / heated (did penance)
• तताप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• सु-महत्: very great
• सु-महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (qualifier) of implied तपः/तपस् (as object/extent)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine) (or सर्व-शब्दः सर्वलिङ्ग), षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• दुरतिक्रमम्: hard to surpass
• दुरतिक्रमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अतिक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (qualifier) of तपः/तपस्

• बट: O boy!
• बट: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बट (अव्यय/सम्बोधन-निपात)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थ-निपात (vocative particle: "O boy!/hey!")

• जानीहि: know
• जानीहि: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case/genitive) एकवचन (singular) (enclitic)

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थ-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: otherwise)

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• भाषितम्: spoken (by me)
• भाषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: कृत (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nominative/accusative), एकवचन (singular); वाक्ये 'मम भाषितम्' = "my spoken (word)"

Speaker

Jayā (to Śiva/Rudra in disguise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Batu’ (Śiva in disguise) and the listening companions

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An attendant emphatically declares the magnitude of the austerity—unsurpassable—addressing a ‘batu’ (young ascetic), insisting her words are true; tension builds before Śiva’s playful test.

Characters & Entities

• Jayā
• Baṭu (Śiva in disguise)
• Pārvatī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is extraordinary discipline; truthfulness (satya) strengthens spiritual testimony and intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Himalayan holy terrain, where severe austerities and Śiva’s presence are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is highlighted as the practice; no specific dāna, snāna, or japa is stated here.