Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सगुप्तस्तु तपस्तेपेऽयथा वेत्ति न कश्चन । ध्यायमानः सुरश्रेष्ठं भक्त्या कमलसंभवम्

Transliteration

saguptastu tapastepe'yathā vetti na kaścana | dhyāyamānaḥ suraśreṣṭhaṃ bhaktyā kamalasaṃbhavam

Translation

แต่เขาบำเพ็ญตบะอย่างลี้ลับ มีผู้ใดก็ไม่ล่วงรู้ เขาเพ่งภาวนาด้วยภักติแด่พระพรหมผู้บังเกิดจากดอกบัว ผู้ประเสริฐยิ่งในหมู่เทพ

Word by Word

• सगुप्तः: well-hidden; in secrecy
• सगुप्तः: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक; स + गुप्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (nom. sg. masc.)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/समुच्चय-व्यतिरेकसूचकः (particle: but/indeed)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (acc. sg. neut.)

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• यथा: how; as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (as/how)

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• कश्चन: anyone
• कश्चन: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• ध्यायमानः: meditating
• ध्यायमानः: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle, Ātmanepada sense), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• सुरश्रेष्ठम्: the best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (acc. sg. masc.)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (instr. sg.)

• कमलसंभवम्: the lotus-born (Brahmā)
• कमलसंभवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल-संभव (प्रातिपदिक; कमल + संभव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (acc. sg. masc.); ब्रह्मणः विशेषण/नाम

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛka, hidden from all, sits in deep austerity, eyes fixed inward, meditating with devotion on lotus-born Brahmā; the forest/precinct around him is still and watchful.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Kamalasaṃbhava)
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)
• Vṛka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True austerity is inward and unobtrusive; devotion-focused meditation (dhyāna) is presented as a potent means to attain divine attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tapas is undertaken in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting established in the preceding verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) with bhakti and the undertaking of tapas are indicated, without a detailed vrata procedure.