Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अयोध्यानगरे गत्वा करिष्ये तप उत्तमम् । गुप्तो भूत्वा भवत्तेजोविवृद्ध्यै दैत्यशान्तये

Transliteration

ayodhyānagare gatvā kariṣye tapa uttamam | gupto bhūtvā bhavattejovivṛddhyai daityaśāntaye

Translation

അയോധ്യാനഗരത്തിലേക്ക് ചെന്നു ഞാൻ ഉത്തമമായ തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിക്കും. ഗുപ്തനായി നിന്ന് നിങ്ങളുടെ തേജസ്സു വർധിപ്പാനും ദൈത്യശമനത്തിനുമായി ഇത് ചെയ്യും.

Word by Word

• अयोध्या-नगरे: in the city of Ayodhyā
• अयोध्या-नगरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• करिष्ये: I shall do
• करिष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गुप्तः: hidden/secret
• गुप्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (गुप् धातु + त कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘गुप्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• भवत्-तेजः-विवृद्ध्यै: for the increase of your power
• भवत्-तेजः-विवृद्ध्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + विवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवतः तेजः) + तत्पुरुष (तेजः-विवृद्धि); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• दैत्य-शान्तये: for the pacification of the Daityas
• दैत्य-शान्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Viṣṇu/Garuḍadhvaja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord declares he will go to Ayodhyā and perform supreme austerity in concealment to increase devas’ radiance and subdue daityas—an inward, strategic pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā
• Śrī Bhagavān (Viṣṇu)
• Devas
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ayodhyā is presented as a potent field for tapas; spiritual power is cultivated quietly for the welfare of the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā-nagara (the holy city of Ayodhyā) is explicitly named as the locus of the Lord’s austerity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uttama-tapas (supreme austerity), undertaken in a gupta (hidden) manner for strengthening divine forces.