Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

यत्र दित्या तपस्तप्तं सुसुतं कांक्षमाणया । तद्दृष्ट्वा परमं स्थानं जीवं प्रोवाच देवपः

Transliteration

yatra dityā tapastaptaṃ susutaṃ kāṃkṣamāṇayā | taddṛṣṭvā paramaṃ sthānaṃ jīvaṃ provāca devapaḥ

Translation

Di tempat itu Diti menjalani tapa, mendambakan putera-putera yang mulia. Melihat tempat suci yang tertinggi itu, penguasa para dewa pun berbicara kepada Jīva, guru rohaninya.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (where)

• दित्या: by Diti
• दित्या: Kartr (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• तप्तम्: was performed (heated/practised)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुसुतम्: a good son
• सुसुतम्: Prayojya (Desired object/इष्ट)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय: सु + सुत ("excellent son")

• काङ्क्षमाणया: by (her) desiring
• काङ्क्षमाणया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: काङ्क्ष् (धातु) + शानच् (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जीवम्: Jīva (a person named Jīva)
• जीवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोवाच: said to/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• देवपः: Devapa (name)
• देवपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Diti-tapas-sthāna at Bālamaṇḍana kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Diti performs austerities at the holy spot yearning for noble sons; Indra, beholding the place’s greatness, turns to his guru Jīva for counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Indra (implied by devapaḥ)
• Jīva (guru/preceptor figure)
• Bālamaṇḍana (place implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity undertaken with a dharmic aim becomes especially fruitful when performed at a sanctified place recognized as ‘supreme’ in tīrtha tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The paramaṃ sthānam identified with the Bālamaṇḍana region, where Diti’s tapas is remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as the practice performed at the site; no detailed vow-steps are specified in this verse.