Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एव शापं ददौ तेषां सुराणां सा तपस्विनी । प्रवीश्याश्वत्थमूले सा स्वोदरं दारयत्तदा

Transliteration

eva śāpaṃ dadau teṣāṃ surāṇāṃ sā tapasvinī | pravīśyāśvatthamūle sā svodaraṃ dārayattadā

Translation

ดังนี้สตรีผู้บำเพ็ญตบะได้ประทานคำสาปแก่เหล่าเทวะทั้งหลาย แล้วนางเข้าไปใต้โคนรากแห่งต้นอัศวัตถะ (โพธิ์/ไทรศักดิ์สิทธิ์) และในบัดดลนั้นเองก็ฉีกเปิดครรภ์ของตน

Word by Word

• एव: thus
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = ‘thus/indeed’

• शापम्: curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ददौ: gave/uttered
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘of them’

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तपस्विनी: the ascetic woman
• तपस्विनी: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘female ascetic’

• प्रवीश्य: having entered
• प्रवीश्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) → प्रवीश्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) = ‘having entered’

• अश्वत्थ-मूले: at the aśvattha root
• अश्वत्थ-मूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘अश्वत्थस्य मूलम्’ → ‘at the root of the aśvattha tree’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्व-उदरम्: her own belly
• स्व-उदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘स्वम् उदरम्’ = ‘her own belly’

• दारयत्: tore open
• दारयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दॄ (धातु; दारणे)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘split/tore’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = ‘then’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha-mūla tīrtha (contextual, unnamed)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a massive aśvattha tree with spreading roots, Suvarcā—radiant with ascetic power—enters the root-space and performs a terrifying act of opening her womb; the scene is both tragic and numinous, with nature reacting (stillness, darkened sky).

Characters & Entities

• Sura (Devas)
• Tapasvinī
• Aśvattha (Pippala) tree

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas and truthfulness are portrayed as forces so potent that even the gods must answer to them; dharma is upheld through austerity and resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedāra-khaṇḍa (Kedārakṣetra/Himalayan sacred geography), while this verse specifically highlights the sanctity of the aśvattha (pipal) as a sacred locus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse is narrative, emphasizing tapas and the sacredness of the aśvattha.