Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तेन वर्षशतं साग्रं तपश्चीर्णं पुरानघ । पुत्रार्थं वरयामास पुत्रं पुत्रवतां वरः

Transliteration

tena varṣaśataṃ sāgraṃ tapaścīrṇaṃ purānagha | putrārthaṃ varayāmāsa putraṃ putravatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

हे अनघ, त्याने पूर्वी शंभर वर्षांहून अधिक तप केले; पुत्रप्राप्तीसाठी, पुत्रवतांमध्ये श्रेष्ठ असता, त्याने पुत्राचा वर मागितला।

Word by Word

• तेन: by him; by that (one)
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष-शत (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; काल-परिमाण (measure of time)

• साग्रम्: with an excess (and more)
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साग्र (प्रातिपदिक; स + अग्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वर्षशतम्)

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

• चीर्णम्: performed; practiced
• चीर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

• पुरा: formerly; long ago
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक; अ-नघ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पुत्रार्थम्: for the sake of a son
• पुत्रार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• वरयामास: chose; sought (as a boon)
• वरयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु; √वृ ‘to choose’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुत्रवताम्: of those who have sons
• पुत्रवताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of those who have sons)

• वरः: the best; the excellent one
• वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa; likely Mārkaṇḍeya continuing discourse to a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhṛkuṭeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as ‘anagha’/sinless)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛgu performs severe austerities for over a hundred years near the Śiva-tīrtha—matted hair, emaciated body, surrounded by fire/solar heat imagery—while the river flows steadily beside the shrine.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, long-term tapas undertaken with a focused dharmic intention is portrayed as spiritually efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse sets the narrative for a Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha context; the specific tīrtha is detailed in the following verses of the adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it highlights prolonged austerity (tapas) performed for obtaining progeny.