Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रत्युवाच प्रसन्नोऽसौ देवदेवो महेश्वरः । भोभोः कष्टं कृतं भीमं दारुणं लोमहर्षणम्

Transliteration

pratyuvāca prasanno'sau devadevo maheśvaraḥ | bhobhoḥ kaṣṭaṃ kṛtaṃ bhīmaṃ dāruṇaṃ lomaharṣaṇam

Translation

พระมหาอิศวร ผู้เป็นเทพเหนือเทพ ทรงพอพระทัยแล้วตรัสตอบว่า: “โอ้ โอ้! เจ้าได้กระทำความเพียรอันยากลำบาก น่าสะพรึงกลัว รุนแรง จนขนลุกนัก”

Word by Word

• प्रत्युवाच: replied
• प्रत्युवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; उपसर्गः: प्रति

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √सद्/सद् with प्र-; past participial adjective)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• देवदेवः: god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (the great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपातः (vocative particle/interjection)

• भोः: O! (hey!)
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपातः (vocative particle/interjection)

• कष्टम्: painful, hard
• कष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले; विशेषणम्

• भीमम्: terrible
• भीमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• दारुणम्: cruel, dreadful
• दारुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• लोमहर्षणम्: hair-raising
• लोमहर्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोम + हर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोमानां हर्षणम्)

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-region

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, serene yet grave, appears before the tapasvin; his face shows pleased compassion while acknowledging the terrifying hardship endured.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Deva-deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion recognizes sincere hardship; tapas is not merely power-seeking but an ordeal that the Lord acknowledges.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; the sanctity derives from the encounter with Śiva at the tapas-site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a direct address praising the severity of austerity.