Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

तत्रासीत्तापसो नाम्ना सुप्रभः शंसितव्रतः । समाधिस्थः सुशिष्याढ्यस्तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषः

Transliteration

tatrāsīttāpaso nāmnā suprabhaḥ śaṃsitavrataḥ | samādhisthaḥ suśiṣyāḍhyastapasā dagdhakilbiṣaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ‘സുപ്രഭ’ എന്ന പേരുള്ള ഒരു താപസൻ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; വ്രതങ്ങളിൽ പ്രശസ്തൻ—സമാധിസ്ഥൻ, സുസിഷ്യസമ്പന്നൻ, തപസ്സാൽ പാപങ്ങൾ ദഗ്ധമായവൻ.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तापसः: an ascetic
• तापसः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by name’ प्रयोगः

• सुप्रभः: Suprabha (name)
• सुप्रभः: Karta (कर्ता) समानाधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• शंसितव्रतः: whose vows were praised
• शंसितव्रतः: Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंसित-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; शंस् (धातु)→शंसित (क्त) + व्रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘praised/commended vows’ (one whose vows are praised)

• समाधिस्थः: situated in samādhi
• समाधिस्थः: Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाधि-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समाधि + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (समाधौ स्थितः)

• सुशिष्याढ्यः: abounding in good disciples
• सुशिष्याढ्यः: Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शिष्य-आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शिष्य + आढ्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सुशिष्यैः आढ्यः = rich in good disciples)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दग्धकिल्बिषः: with sins burnt away
• दग्धकिल्बिषः: Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध-किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक; दह् (धातु)→दग्ध (क्त) + किल्बिष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘burnt sins’ (one whose sins are burnt)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ascetic, Suprabha, sits in deep samādhi in an āśrama near the pilgrimage ground, surrounded by calm disciples, radiating quiet authority amid distant commotion.

Characters & Entities

• Suprabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual authority is portrayed as vow-discipline, meditative absorption, and purification through tapas—qualities that sanctify a tīrtha narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader unit is Tīrthamāhātmya in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse introduces the saint rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata (holy observance) and tapas (austerity) are praised generally; no specific procedural rite is detailed here.