Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अनुज्ञाता त्वया ब्रह्मंस्तपस्तप्स्यामि दुष्करम् । पुत्रार्थित्वं समुद्दिश्य तोषयामि सुरोत्तमान्

Transliteration

anujñātā tvayā brahmaṃstapastapsyāmi duṣkaram | putrārthitvaṃ samuddiśya toṣayāmi surottamān

Translation

โอ้พราหมณ์ ด้วยอนุญาตของท่าน ข้าจักบำเพ็ญตบะอันยากยิ่ง; ด้วยความปรารถนาจะได้บุตร ข้าจักทำให้เหล่าเทพผู้ประเสริฐยิ่ง (สุโรตตมะ) พอพระทัย

Word by Word

• अनुज्ञाता: (I) permitted/allowed
• अनुज्ञाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः: ‘अनुज्ञाता’ = permitted

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin/O sage
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

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

• तप्स्यामि: I will perform austerity
• तप्स्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुष्करम्: difficult
• दुष्करम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् (उपसर्ग) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (दुष्करम् तपः)

• पुत्रार्थित्वम्: desire for a son
• पुत्रार्थित्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुत्रस्य अर्थित्वम् (desire for a son)

• समुद्दिश्य: having intended/aiming at
• समुद्दिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया

• तोषयामि: I please/satisfy
• तोषयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रेरण)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• सुरोत्तमान्: the best of the gods
• सुरोत्तमान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; सुराणाम् उत्तमान्

Speaker

Anasūyā (deduced from immediate reply by Atri in next verse and the well-known Atri–Anasūyā progeny context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brahmin (addressed as 'brahman')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee addresses a brahmin/elder, receiving permission; then visualizes undertaking severe austerity—standing, fasting, or meditating—while offering reverence to a radiant deity presence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmin (Atri)
• Surottamas (chief gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right intention (saṅkalpa) and permission from elders/teachers are presented as foundations for fruitful tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself does not name a site; the chapter’s broader frame is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Duṣkara-tapas (severe austerity) undertaken with a putra-kāma intention and devotion to the chief deities.