Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पुरुषाकारो भगवानुताहो तपसः फलात् । कस्य गोत्रे समुत्पन्नः कस्य देवोऽभवद्वशी

Transliteration

puruṣākāro bhagavānutāho tapasaḥ phalāt | kasya gotre samutpannaḥ kasya devo'bhavadvaśī

Translation

భగవానుడు పురుషాకారమును ధరించెనా—లేదా అది తపస్సు ఫలమా? ఆయన ఏ గోత్రములో జన్మించెను, మరియు ఎవరి భక్తివశమై ఆ దేవుడు వశుడయ్యెను?

Word by Word

• पुरुषाकारः: having human form
• पुरुषाकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुष + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पुरुषस्य आकारः/पुरुषाकारः)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त

• उत: or; also
• उत: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: or/also)

• आहो: indeed?; perhaps?
• आहो: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/विकल्पसूचक निपात (interrogative particle)

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• फलात्: from the result; as a result
• फलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कस्य: of whom; whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोत्रे: in (which) lineage
• गोत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुत्पन्नः: was born; arose
• समुत्पन्नः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘समुत्पन्न’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कस्य: of whom; whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभवत्: became; was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वशी: subdued; under control
• वशी: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘देवः’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āditya-avatāra-sthāna on Narmadā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning moment: the listener asks how Sūrya took human form, from what tapas, in which gotra/lineage, and who was the devotee whose worship made the deity accessible; the sage prepares to answer.

Characters & Entities

• Āditya (Sūrya)
• tapas (austerity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma frames divine manifestation as responsive to tapas and devotion, inviting inquiry into lineage, discipline, and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Revā/Narmadā region; the verse itself is interrogative and does not name the exact tīrtha yet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as a causal spiritual practice, though no specific vow is detailed here.