Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

दशवर्षसहस्राणि तपोनिष्ठा तु तप्स्यसे । वज्रसारमयैरंगैरच्छेद्यैरायसैर्दृढैः

Transliteration

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi taponiṣṭhā tu tapsyase | vajrasāramayairaṃgairacchedyairāyasairdṛḍhaiḥ

Translation

நீ தவத்தில் நிலைத்து பத்தாயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் தவம் செய்வாய்; அப்போது (மகன்) வஜ்ரத்தின் சாரமெனும் அங்கங்களுடன், வெட்ட இயலாத, இரும்புபோல் கடினமும் உறுதியும் உடையவனாக இருப்பான்.

Word by Word

• दशवर्षसहस्राणि: ten thousand years
• दशवर्षसहस्राणि: Karman (Extent of time/कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa + varṣa + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्या-समास (दशवर्षाणां सहस्राणि = ten-thousand years)

• तपोनिष्ठा: steadfast in penance
• तपोनिष्ठा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas + niṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (austere/steadfast in penance)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय

• तप्स्यसे: you will perform austerity
• तप्स्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वज्रसारमयैः: made of adamantine essence
• वज्रसारमयैः: Karana (Instrumental qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vajra + sāra + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (made of adamantine essence)

• अङ्गैः: with limbs
• अङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अच्छेद्यैः: uncuttable
• अच्छेद्यैः: Karana (Instrumental qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a+chedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (not to be cut)

• आयसैः: iron-like / of iron
• आयसैः: Karana (Instrumental qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (made of iron/metal)

• दृढैः: firm, strong
• दृढैः: Karana (Instrumental qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (firm, strong)

Speaker

Kaśyapa (Prajāpati) (contextual deduction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kaśyapa prescribes a ten-thousand-year austerity; Diti is shown preparing for severe tapas, while a symbolic aura of thunderbolt-essence forms around the envisioned child’s limbs—iron-hard, uncuttable.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Kaśyapa (Prajāpati)
• Vajra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great power is portrayed as the fruit of long discipline (tapas), not mere desire—yet its intention must align with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the emphasis is on tapas as a spiritual method.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed austerity: sustained tapas for ten thousand years.