Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तदपत्यमपत्यार्थं संसारे किल नारद । एतेषां दुर्लभानां हि किंचित्प्राप्नोति पुण्यवान्

Transliteration

tadapatyamapatyārthaṃ saṃsāre kila nārada | eteṣāṃ durlabhānāṃ hi kiṃcitprāpnoti puṇyavān

Translation

O Nārada, in diesem Kreislauf der Welt-Existenz sucht man wahrlich Nachkommenschaft um der Linie willen; doch unter diesen seltenen Errungenschaften erlangt nur der Verdienstevolle auch nur einen kleinen Anteil.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• अपत्यम्: offspring, child
• अपत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• अपत्यार्थम्: for the sake of offspring
• अपत्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; purpose)

• संसारे: in worldly existence
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ-निपात (particle: indeed/it is said)

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (Genitive plural; pronoun)

• दुर्लभानाम्: of the rare (things)
• दुर्लभानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Genitive plural; adjective)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थ-निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• किंचित्: something, a little
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; something/a little)

• प्राप्नोति: obtains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada)

• पुण्यवान्: a meritorious person
• पुण्यवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; गुणवाचक-विशेष्यवत् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; one possessing merit)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada listens as a sage explains the human pursuit of progeny and the role of merit; a family scene appears with a cradle, while a scale symbolizing karma/puṇya shows only a small portion granted.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly aims like lineage are common, but even rare higher attainments come only through puṇya (merit) and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general dharma statement within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is explicitly stated in this verse (no direct injunction regarding snāna, dāna, japa, or vrata).