Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 141

Devanagari script

स्वयं तताप तपसा सूर्यो भूत्वा तदाऽसुरः । ईशो भूत्वा स्वयं चास्ते ऐशान्यां दिशि पालयन्

Transliteration

svayaṃ tatāpa tapasā sūryo bhūtvā tadā'suraḥ | īśo bhūtvā svayaṃ cāste aiśānyāṃ diśi pālayan

Translation

อสูรนั้นบำเพ็ญตบะด้วยตนเอง จนรุ่งโรจน์ดุจพระสุริยะ; ครั้นเป็นดั่งเจ้าแห่งทิศ ก็สถิตคุ้มครองทิศอีศาน (ตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ) ด้วยตนเอง

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); आत्मार्थे/स्वयमेव (reflexive adverb)

• तताप: performed austerity / heated (by penance)
• तताप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• तपसा: by penance
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• असुरः: the asura (demon)
• असुरः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• ईशः: lord / ruler
• ईशः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); आत्मार्थे/स्वयमेव (reflexive adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आस्ते: remains / sits
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• ऐशान्याम्: in the north-eastern
• ऐशान्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐशानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन (singular); दिशि-विशेषण (qualifier of ‘diś’)

• दिशि: direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular)

• पालयन्: protecting / governing
• पालयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with subject)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas (addressed as ‘dvijāḥ’ in the passage cluster)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An asura radiant like the sun stands as a self-made lord, stationed in the northeastern quarter, embodying tapas-born brilliance and directional guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Bali (asura)
• Sūrya
• Aiśānya-diś (northeast)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas generates formidable potency; governance and authority in the cosmos are portrayed as outcomes of acquired spiritual energy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse uses cosmological imagery within Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced generally, without a detailed rite.