Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

किं तु तत्तपसा साध्यं मन्येहं सुरसंगमम् । तस्मादादौ करिष्यामि तपो घोरं दनोः सुताः

Transliteration

kiṃ tu tattapasā sādhyaṃ manyehaṃ surasaṃgamam | tasmādādau kariṣyāmi tapo ghoraṃ danoḥ sutāḥ

Translation

Doch meine ich, dass die Gemeinschaft mit den Göttern durch Tapas, durch Askese, zu erlangen ist. Darum werde ich zuerst strenges Tapas auf mich nehmen — o Söhne Danus.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg); विशेषणम्

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

• साध्यम्: to be achieved
• साध्यम्: Karmapravachaniya/Predicate (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक; √साध् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (to be accomplished)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (I think)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom sg)

• सुरसंगमम्: meeting with the gods
• सुरसंगमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्धार्थ (surasya saṅgamaḥ)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूपेण हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (locative used adverbially: at first)

• करिष्यामि: I will perform
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (I will do)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg)

• घोरम्: terrible, severe
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दनोः: of Danu
• दनोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen sg)

• सुताः: sons
• सुताः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom pl); संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (vocative sense possible)

Speaker

Tāraka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An Asura leader addressing the sons of Danu, declaring that severe tapas is the gateway to meeting/overcoming the gods; a tense council scene before departure to the wilderness.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Danu
• Dānavas
• Devas (suras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as a potent spiritual force; Purāṇic dharma cautions that the intention behind austerity determines whether its fruits uplift or destroy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse introduces the motif of austerity for attaining power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is mentioned generally, without a specific vrata, mantra, or tīrtha-procedure.