Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

केनोपायेन स स्यान्मे भर्ता नारायणः प्रभुः । व्रतेन तपसा वापि दानेन नियमेन च

Transliteration

kenopāyena sa syānme bhartā nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ | vratena tapasā vāpi dānena niyamena ca

Translation

«Durch welches Mittel kann der Herr Nārāyaṇa mein Gemahl werden—durch ein Gelübde, durch Askese (tapas), durch Gabe, oder durch heilige Observanzen und Regeln?»

Word by Word

• केन: by what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• उपायेन: by a means, method
• उपायेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्यात्: may be, might become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध) एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• भर्ता: husband, lord
• भर्ता: Vidhēya (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate noun)

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Vidhēya (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भर्ता इत्यस्य विशेषण/समनाम

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Vidhēya (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अपि विधेय-नाम

• व्रतेन: by a vow
• व्रतेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावार्थक निपात (also/even)

• दानेन: by giving, charity
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• नियमेन: by observance, discipline
• नियमेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Lakṣmī (as quoted within Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) addressed; broader frame includes Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmī, earnest and resolute, questions the path: which discipline will win Nārāyaṇa as husband—vow, austerity, charity, or observances?

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Nārāyaṇa
• Vrata
• Tapas
• Dāna
• Niyama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment is approached through deliberate sādhana—vows, austerity, charity, and disciplined observance—directed toward the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on methods (upāya) of devotion and discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata (vow), tapas (austerity), dāna (charity), and niyama (religious observances) are explicitly listed as candidate practices.