Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तत्र ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । प्रातप्यत तपो घोरं परमं दुष्करं महत्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tatra brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | prātapyata tapo ghoraṃ paramaṃ duṣkaraṃ mahat

Translation

وہ کلمات سن کر برہما، عالَموں کے پِتامہ، وہیں سخت ترین تپسیا میں لگ گئے—نہایت اعلیٰ، بے حد دشوار اور عظیم قوت والی۔

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘श्रुत्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (Converb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु) → śrutvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूप कृदन्त (gerund/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• vacanam: the statement/words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (श्रुत्वा)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• lokapitāmahaḥ: grandfather of the worlds
• lokapitāmahaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः उपाधिः

• prātapyata: practised/underwent (austerity)
• prātapyata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (तप्यते-रूपम्)

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

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

• duṣkaram: hard to do
• duṣkaram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣ-kara (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

• mahat: great
• mahat: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘tapaḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā seated in unwavering meditation atop the lotus, posture firm; the environment remains vast and empty, but a subtle aura grows around him, suggesting accumulating tapas-śakti.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great responsibilities require purification and steadiness; tapas is portrayed as the foundation of cosmic and personal order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it remains within the Dharmāraṇya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking intense tapas (austerity) as a spiritual discipline.