Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तस्य पुत्रः पुलस्त्य स्य विश्रवा मुनिपुंगवाः । चिरकालं तपस्तेपे देवैरपि सुदुष्करम्

Transliteration

tasya putraḥ pulastya sya viśravā munipuṃgavāḥ | cirakālaṃ tapastepe devairapi suduṣkaram

Translation

“วิศรวา โอรสของปุลัสตยะ—ผู้เลิศในหมู่นักบวช—ได้บำเพ็ญตบะยาวนาน เป็นตบะที่ยากยิ่ง แม้เหล่าเทวะก็ยังทำได้โดยยาก”

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुलस्त्यस्य: of Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विश्रवाः: Viśravā
• विश्रवाः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्रवस्/विश्रवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुनिपुंगवः: best of sages
• मुनिपुंगवः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• चिरकालम्: for a long time
• चिरकालम्: Adhikarana (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिर + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेपे: performed austerity / practiced penance
• तेपे: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Standard of comparison/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Visheshana (Adjective of ‘तपः’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśravā in deep austerity: seated in padmāsana or standing in penance amid forest heat and cold, surrounded by subtle divine observers; his aura suggests accumulated brahma-tejas.

Characters & Entities

• Viśravā
• Pulastya
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as a transformative force that even the gods respect, establishing spiritual authority and consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse focuses on ascetic practice rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general ideal of tapas (austerity) is referenced, but no specific vow, bath, or donation is prescribed.