Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । आश्चर्यं परमं ब्रह्मञ्जातं मे ब्रह्मसत्तम । कथं ब्रह्मोपपन्नस्य तपश्छेदो बभूव ह

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | āścaryaṃ paramaṃ brahmañjātaṃ me brahmasattama | kathaṃ brahmopapannasya tapaśchedo babhūva ha

Translation

युधिष्ठिर म्हणाला—हे ब्रह्मन्, हे ब्रह्मवेत्त्यांतील श्रेष्ठ! माझ्या मनात परम आश्चर्य उत्पन्न झाले आहे। जो ब्रह्मात स्थित आहे, त्याच्या तपश्चर्येला छेद कसा पडला?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: वच्

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘आश्चर्यम्’)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• जातम्: has arisen
• जातम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आश्चर्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (arisen)

• मे: for me / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; enclitic

• ब्रह्मसत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• ब्रह्मसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणां सत्तमः = best among Brahmins)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative adverb)

• ब्रह्मोपपन्नस्य: of one endowed with Brahman (spiritual power)
• ब्रह्मोपपन्नस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म + उपपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP: उप-√पद्/पद् → उपपन्न = endowed/attained), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः: तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणा उपपन्नः = endowed with Brahman/holy power)

• तपःछेदः: the breaking of austerity
• तपःछेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः छेदः = break/destruction of austerity)

• बभूव: happened/occurred
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: भू

• ह: indeed
• ह: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Brahman teacher (brahman, brahmasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, composed yet astonished, addresses a venerable Brahman: palms joined, eyes intent, asking how austerity could be broken in one established in Brahman.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Vyāsa (implied addressee: brahmasattama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual establishment is tested by circumstances; inquiry into how lapses occur strengthens discrimination and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question arises within the Dharmāraṇya narrative framework; the sthāla is Dharmāraṇya, presented as a place where Dharma’s subtleties are revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) is referenced conceptually, but no specific vow or rite is prescribed in this verse.