Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तपसातीव तीव्रेण निश्चलेंद्रियचेतसः । तस्य राजकुमारस्य प्रसन्नोभूदुमाधवः

Transliteration

tapasātīva tīvreṇa niścaleṃdriyacetasaḥ | tasya rājakumārasya prasannobhūdumādhavaḥ

Translation

Durch überaus strenge Askese, mit unbewegten Sinnen und festem Geist, erfreute jener Prinz Umānātha, den Herrn Śiva.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity, through penance
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with austerity)

• अतीव: exceedingly, very
• अतीव: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तीव्रेण: intense, severe
• तीव्रेण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular; agrees with तपसा (intense)

• निश्चल-इन्द्रिय-चेतसः: of (one) whose senses and mind are steady
• निश्चल-इन्द्रिय-चेतसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणम् (having unmoving senses and mind)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of him)

• राजकुमारस्य: of the prince
• राजकुमारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज (प्रातिपदिक) + कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular (of the prince)

• प्रसन्नः: pleased, gracious
• प्रसन्नः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; predicate adjective

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular (became)

• उमाधवः: Umā’s lord (Śiva)
• उमाधवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; epithet of Śiva (husband of Umā)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young prince in austere posture, senses withdrawn, seated in meditation; subtle aura of Śiva’s grace gathering unseen.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā
• Prince (rājakumāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady senses and concentrated tapas, done with devotion, naturally draw Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Śiva’s presence is especially accessible.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on intense tapas with firm control of mind and senses.