Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

देहवासं परित्यक्ष्ये प्राप्स्ये वाभिमतं पतिम् । असाध्यं चाप्यभीष्टं च कथं प्राप्यं तपो विना

Transliteration

dehavāsaṃ parityakṣye prāpsye vābhimataṃ patim | asādhyaṃ cāpyabhīṣṭaṃ ca kathaṃ prāpyaṃ tapo vinā

Translation

Ich werde diese körperliche Hülle aufgeben oder den Ehemann erlangen, den ich begehre. Wie kann das Schwierige und Ersehnte ohne Askese erreicht werden?

Word by Word

• dehavāsam: dwelling in the body
• dehavāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha + vāsa (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देहस्य वासः); accusative singular masculine

• parityakṣye: I shall abandon
• parityakṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; 1st person singular future

• prāpsye: I shall obtain
• prāpsye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; 1st person singular future

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• abhimatam: desired
• abhimatam: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhimata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular masculine; विशेषण (to patim)

• patim: husband
• patim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular masculine

• asādhyam: unattainable
• asādhyam: Kriya-anvaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asādhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular neuter (predicate)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

• abhīṣṭam: desired (thing)
• abhīṣṭam: Kriya-anvaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular neuter (predicate)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• katham: how
• katham: Prashna (Interrogative manner/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न-प्रकारवाचक (how?)

• prāpyam: obtainable/to be attained
• prāpyam: Kriya-anvaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; gerundive/potential passive participle; ‘to be obtained’

• tapaḥ: austerity/penance
• tapaḥ: Hetu (Means/condition/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here in vinā-construction (ablatival sense)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apadana (Separation/absence/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-निपात (preposition-like particle) governing accusative/ablatival sense; ‘without’

Speaker

Narrator (reporting the maiden’s resolve)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapas-bhūmi (Himālaya archetype)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daughter declares firm resolve: renounce the body or attain the desired husband; she asserts that without tapas the difficult and desired cannot be gained.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True attainment requires disciplined effort (tapas); mere wishing is not presented as sufficient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is a general dharmic principle about tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is advocated broadly—implying vrata-like discipline, restraint, and sustained spiritual practice.