Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 918

Devanagari script

सुतार्थं सा तपस्तेपे यतवाक्कायमानसा । ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते देवदेवो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

sutārthaṃ sā tapastepe yatavākkāyamānasā | tato varṣasahasrānte devadevo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

പുത്രാർത്ഥമായി അവൾ വാക്കും ശരീരവും മനസ്സും നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു. തുടർന്ന് ആയിരം വർഷത്തിന്റെ അവസാനം ദേവദേവനായ മഹേശ്വരൻ (പ്രകടനായി).

Word by Word

• सुतार्थम्: for (obtaining) a son
• सुतार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of a son)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अन्वादेश-सर्वनाम

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• तेपे: performed / practiced
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यतवाक्कायमानसा: with restrained speech, body, and mind
• यतवाक्कायमानसा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत + वाक् + काय + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सा); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: यता वाक्-काय-मानसाः यस्याः (नियत-वाक्-काय-मानस)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: at the end of a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; वर्षसहस्रस्य अन्ते (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• देवदेवः: the god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; देवानां देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नामवाचक

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Arbuda Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman ascetic performs severe tapas—standing or seated in meditation—eyes lowered, minimal adornment, surrounded by forest or mountain austerity setting; after a thousand years, Maheśvara manifests in radiant form.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused tapas with disciplined senses and mind is presented as a dharmic means to invoke divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative and does not name a specific tīrtha; it sits within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) with restraint of speech, body, and mind, undertaken with the intention of obtaining progeny.