Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अभ्यासपरमावास्तामन्योन्यविजिगीषया । तथा तौ युध्यमानौ च चित्ररूपौ तपस्विनौ

Transliteration

abhyāsaparamāvāstāmanyonyavijigīṣayā | tathā tau yudhyamānau ca citrarūpau tapasvinau

Translation

അസ്ത്രവിദ്യയുടെ അഭ്യാസപരാകാഷ്ഠയും പരസ്പരം ജയിക്കണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹവും പ്രേരണയായി, യുദ്ധം തുടരുന്ന ആ ഇരുവരും അത്ഭുതരൂപധാരികളായി ഘോരതപസ്സിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന തപസ്വികളുപോലെ തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• अभ्यास-परमौ: supreme in practice
• अभ्यास-परमौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण—‘तौ’ इत्यस्य

• आस्ताम्: (the two) were
• आस्ताम्: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अन्योन्य-विजिगीषया: with the desire to conquer each other
• अन्योन्य-विजिगीषया: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विजिगीषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ/साधने—‘अन्योन्यं विजेतुम् इच्छया’

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• युध्यमानौ: fighting
• युध्यमानौ: Karta (Agent, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘तौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• चित्र-रूपौ: of wondrous forms
• चित्र-रूपौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण—‘तौ’ इत्यस्य

• तपस्विनौ: the two ascetics
• तपस्विनौ: Karta (Subject, apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘तौ’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य (appositional noun)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two radiant combatants locked in a disciplined duel, their bodies and weapons rendered with ascetic severity—like tapasvins whose austerity has become visible as a fierce aura.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Tāraka
• Tapasvin (ascetic ideal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True power is presented as disciplined tapas—whether in asceticism or in righteous action—rather than mere rage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kedārakṣetra through the Kedāra-khaṇḍa framework, though this verse itself highlights the ethos of disciplined struggle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes training (abhyāsa) and disciplined intensity.