Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यत्किंचित्त्रिषु लोकेषु प्रार्थयंति नराः सुखम् । तत्सर्वं तपसा साध्यं तस्मात्कार्यं मया तपः

Transliteration

yatkiṃcittriṣu lokeṣu prārthayaṃti narāḥ sukham | tatsarvaṃ tapasā sādhyaṃ tasmātkāryaṃ mayā tapaḥ

Translation

তিন লোকের মধ্যে মানুষ যে-যে সুখ প্রার্থনা করে, তা সবই তপস্যায় সাধ্য; অতএব আমার তপস্যা করা কর্তব্য।

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (correlative)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• प्रार्थयन्ति: seek; request
• प्रार्थयन्ति: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-अर्थ्/अर्थय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नराः: men; people
• नराः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (correlative)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘all’

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

• साध्यम्: achievable
• साध्यम्: Karta-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √साध्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative): ‘to be accomplished’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Conclusion marker (Reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतुवाचक/ablatival adverb): ‘therefore/from that’

• कार्यम्: to be done; necessary
• कार्यम्: Kriya-anukarya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय—‘to be done/necessary’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

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

Speaker

King (pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, speaking with conviction, gestures as if teaching: ‘All sought happiness in the three worlds is achieved by tapas’; attendants listen, the atmosphere shifts from grief to disciplined clarity.

Characters & Entities

• tri-loka (three worlds)
• tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes tapas as a transformative power that converts intention into spiritual and worldly fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly supports the tīrtha-māhātmya arc culminating at Śaṅkhatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake tapas as the principal discipline to accomplish one’s dharmic aim.