Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तपः कृत्वा सुविपुलं सुरासुरभयंकरम् । पौलस्त्यमन्दिरे चैव चिक्रीड नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

tapaḥ kṛtvā suvipulaṃ surāsurabhayaṃkaram | paulastyamandire caiva cikrīḍa nṛpasattama

Translation

اس نے نہایت عظیم تپسیا کی، جو دیوتاؤں اور اسوروں تک کے لیے ہیبت ناک تھی؛ اور اے بہترین بادشاہ، وہ پَولستیہ کے مندر میں بھی کھیلا کرتا رہا۔

Word by Word

• tapaḥ: austerity; penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म (कृत्वा इत्यस्य)

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive): ‘having done’

• su-vipulam: very extensive; great
• su-vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tapaḥ-विशेषणम्)

• surāsura-bhayaṃkaram: terrifying to gods and demons
• surāsura-bhayaṃkaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + bhayaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (surāsurāṇāṃ bhayaṃkaraṃ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tapaḥ-विशेषणम्)

• paulastya-mandire: in the temple/shrine of Paulastya
• paulastya-mandire: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paulastya (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (paulastyasya mandiram); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• cikrīḍa: played; sported
• cikrīḍa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nṛpa-sattama: O best of kings
• nṛpa-sattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + sat-tama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (nṛpāṇāṃ sattamaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paulastya-mandira (associated locus within Kuṇḍaleśvara area)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Yakṣa Kuṇḍadhāra performs fierce austerities near a shrine labeled Paulastya-mandira; devas and asuras watch from the sky in apprehension; the air shimmers with heat of tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Paulastya (mandira/shrine)
• Yakṣa Kuṇḍadhāra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense tapas performed in a sanctified place magnifies spiritual potency and leads to extraordinary attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuṇḍaleśvara’s sacred complex, including the Paulastya shrine/temple mentioned in the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the principal practice associated with the site’s power.