Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणा नोदिता पूर्वं तपः परममाश्रिता । तपसा तेन महता कुमारं प्रति वै तदा । आगता दुहिता मृत्योः सेना नामैकसुंदरी

Transliteration

brahmaṇā noditā pūrvaṃ tapaḥ paramamāśritā | tapasā tena mahatā kumāraṃ prati vai tadā | āgatā duhitā mṛtyoḥ senā nāmaikasuṃdarī

Translation

Dahulu, didorong oleh Brahmā, dia menempuh tapa yang paling luhur. Dengan tapa yang agung itu, puteri Maut bernama Senā—yang tiada bandingan kecantikannya—datang menghadap Kumāra.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• नोदिता: urged/impelled
• नोदिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-उद् (धातु) → नोदित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रेरिता’ (having been urged)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (formerly/previously)

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

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—तपः

• आश्रिता: having resorted to
• आश्रिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोग—‘आश्रिता’ (having resorted to)

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

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; तपसा इत्यस्य विशेषण (by that)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण—तपसा

• कुमारम्: Kumāra
• कुमारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sampradana/Direction (प्रति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (towards/with regard to)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/indeed)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• आगता: came
• आगता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘आगता’ (having come)

• दुहिता: daughter
• दुहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मृत्योः: of Death
• मृत्योः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सेना: Senā (name/person)
• सेना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामरूपेण व्यक्तिः

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक-निपात (by name)

• एकसुंदरी: the uniquely beautiful one
• एकसुंदरी: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘एका सुन्दरी’ (a single/unique beauty)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (tapas landscape)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Senā, daughter of Mṛtyu, is introduced with her backstory: urged by Brahmā, she performed supreme austerity and now approaches Kumāra, radiant and peerlessly beautiful.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Mṛtyu
• Senā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (disciplined austerity) empowered by right intention becomes a force that shapes destiny and divine outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred region is the textual setting; this verse emphasizes tapas and arrival rather than a specific tīrtha merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is praised implicitly, but no concrete vow, bath, donation, or mantra is specified here.