Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सदा तपस्यां चरामि प्रीत्यर्थं हरिवेधसोः । श्रुत्वेति चापसृत्यैव खिन्नास्ते मुनयोऽब्रुवन्

Transliteration

sadā tapasyāṃ carāmi prītyarthaṃ harivedhasoḥ | śrutveti cāpasṛtyaiva khinnāste munayo'bruvan

Translation

(Wika niya:) “Lagi kong isinasagawa ang pagtitika upang kalugdan ni Hari at ni Vedhas (Brahmā).” Nang marinig ito, ang mga pantas ay agad na umurong at nagsalita nang may panghihina ng loob.

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adverbial (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb of time

• तपस्याम्: in austerity
• तपस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — feminine locative singular

• चरामि: I practice / I perform
• चरामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — 1st person singular present

• प्रीत्यर्थम्: for the sake of pleasure
• प्रीत्यर्थम्: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीत्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; प्रीति + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular used adverbially (हेतौ)

• हरिवेधसोः: of Hari and Vedhas (Brahmā)
• हरिवेधसोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिवेधस् (प्रातिपदिक; हरि + वेधस्)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन — genitive dual (of Hari and Brahmā)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive ‘having heard’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक) — quotative particle

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• अपसृत्य: having withdrawn
• अपसृत्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप√सृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive ‘having withdrawn’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Adverbial (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle

• खिन्नाः: dejected
• खिन्नाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खिन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √खिद् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural; विशेषण (qualifying मुनयः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — pronoun nominative plural

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural

• अब्रुवन्: said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural imperfect

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deductive, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munaḥ (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic/divine speaker declares continual tapas for Hari and Brahmā; nearby sages, hearing it, step back with lowered gaze, their faces showing fatigue and dejection, as if their prior assumptions have been overturned.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Vedhas (Brahmā)
• Munis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as an offering aimed at divine pleasure (prīti), not mere self-power; even great beings serve one another within cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity/penance) is highlighted as a sustained spiritual discipline.