Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । जज्ञे दाक्षायणी ब्रह्मन्विदग्धावयवा यदा । विना शक्त्या महेशोऽपि तताप परमं तपः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | jajñe dākṣāyaṇī brahmanvidagdhāvayavā yadā | vinā śaktyā maheśo'pi tatāpa paramaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

सूत उवाच । ब्रह्मन् दाक्षायणी यदा विदग्धावयवा नृशंसैः प्राणान् जहौ, तदा शक्तिवियोगेन महेशोऽपि परमं तपस्तेपे ॥

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• जज्ञे: was born; arose
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दाक्षायणी: Dākṣāyaṇī (daughter of Dakṣa)
• दाक्षायणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• विदग्धावयवा: having well-formed limbs
• विदग्धावयवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदग्ध + अवयव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘विदग्धाः अवयवाः यस्याः सा’

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश (preposition-like indeclinable)

• शक्त्या: with Śakti; with power (here: the Goddess)
• शक्त्या: Sahakarana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• महेशः: Maheśa (Śiva)
• महेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः महा + ईश

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• तताप: performed austerity; did penance
• तताप: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमम्: supreme; great
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘तपः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Himalayan Śaiva region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa/ṛṣis (addressed as ‘brahman’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Satī (Dākṣāyaṇī) has perished, her body burned; Śiva, bereft of Śakti, enters profound austerity—an image of stillness amid cosmic sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dākṣāyaṇī (Satī)
• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the Lord models tapas—steadfast inner discipline—showing that spiritual power is cultivated through austerity and divine purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter context points toward the Himalayan Kedāra sphere where Śiva’s tapas sanctifies the landscape, though the verse does not name a tirtha directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is praised as the supreme spiritual discipline, but no specific vow or procedure is detailed here.