Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तपसा प्राप्यते कामस्तपसा च महत्फलम् । तपसा जायते सर्वं तत्तपः सुलभं नरैः

Transliteration

tapasā prāpyate kāmastapasā ca mahatphalam | tapasā jāyate sarvaṃ tattapaḥ sulabhaṃ naraiḥ

Translation

بالتقشّف الروحي (التَّبَس/التَّپَس) تُنال الرغبات، وبالتقشّف تُثمر الثمار العظيمة. ومن التقشّف يولد كلّ شيء، غير أنّ هذا التَّبَس ليس يسيرًا على الناس.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive voice)

• कामः: desire; desired object
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महत्-फलम्: great fruit/result
• महत्-फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् फलम्)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जायते: arises, is born
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुलभम्: easy to obtain
• सुलभम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + लभ्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana/Agent in passive (कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: sages performing austerities—fasting, japa, standing in water—while a subtle radiance indicates fruits arising from tapas; a contrasting group of ordinary people struggles with discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Tapas
• Phala (fruit/result)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as a universal generator of results—worldly and spiritual—while also being difficult to sustain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse provides a general dharma-teaching within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general exhortation toward tapas; no specific form (fasting, japa count, etc.) is specified here.