Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 181

Devanagari script

अप्सुसा वार्षिकं बिंदुं पूर्णे वर्षशते पपौ । तपश्चरंती तस्मात्सा प्रोच्यते चाप्सरा दिवि

Transliteration

apsusā vārṣikaṃ biṃduṃ pūrṇe varṣaśate papau | tapaścaraṃtī tasmātsā procyate cāpsarā divi

Translation

她修行苦行，整整一百年间，每年只饮一滴。故而在天界，人们称她为一位阿普萨拉（Apsarā，天女）。

Word by Word

• apsusā: she in the waters
• apsusā: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsu (अव्यय/सप्तमी-बहुवचनरूप ‘अप्सु’) + sā (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पाठभेद/सन्धि-समस्या; सम्भाव्य-विग्रहः ‘अप्सु सा’ = ‘she (being) in the waters’; ‘अप्सु’ अव्ययवत् (सप्तमी-बहुवचनम्), ‘सा’ स्त्री प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• vārṣikam: yearly, annual
• vārṣikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vārṣika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• biṃdum: a drop
• biṃdum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: biṃdu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• pūrṇe: when completed
• pūrṇe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (सप्तमी-सम्बन्धः)

• varṣaśate: in a hundred years
• varṣaśate: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—वर्षाणां शतम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• papau: drank
• papau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (पा धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘चरन्ती’ इत्यनेन सह कर्मरूपेण

• carantī: practising (doing)
• carantī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर् धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; कर्तरि—‘practising’

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ/अपादाने

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• procyate: is called
• procyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः—‘is called/said’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• apsarā: an apsaras
• apsarā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• divi: in heaven
• divi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Barkareśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary maiden-ascetic in a forest or near a shrine, sustaining herself on a single drop per year; the cosmos witnesses her vow, and celestial beings acknowledge her as apsarā.

Characters & Entities

• Citralekhā
• Apsarā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained tapas with restraint is portrayed as powerfully transformative, yielding exalted status and recognition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the broader tīrtha narrative context (Mahākāla/Barkareśvara) though it focuses on her tapas-fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An austerity model is implied: extreme restraint in consumption over long periods as a form of tapas.