Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विशीर्णाः किं प्रभावश्च तपसः सूतनन्दन । किं वा मंत्रप्रभावश्च एतन्नः कौतुकं परम्

Transliteration

viśīrṇāḥ kiṃ prabhāvaśca tapasaḥ sūtanandana | kiṃ vā maṃtraprabhāvaśca etannaḥ kautukaṃ param

Translation

O Sohn des Sūta, durch welche Kraft wurden sie zerschmettert – durch die Macht der Askese (tapas) oder durch die Macht des Mantras? Das ist unsere höchste Neugier; erkläre es uns.

Word by Word

• विशीर्णाः: broken/decayed
• विशीर्णाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + शीर्ण (धातु √शॄ/शृ ‘to break/decay’)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘भिन्नाः/क्षीणाः’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• प्रभावः: power/effect
• प्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• सूतनन्दन: O son of the Sūta
• सूतनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

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

• मंत्रप्रभावः: power of mantra
• मंत्रप्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘मन्त्रस्य प्रभावः’

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नः: our/to us
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative enclitic), बहुवचन; ‘अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यं’

• कौतुकम्: curiosity/wonder
• कौतुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परम्: great/supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कौतुकस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sages (ṛṣis) addressing Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtanandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of the rishis’ earnest faces as they weigh two possibilities—tapas or mantra—while the narrator listens; symbolic split imagery: a small ascetic fire (tapas) on one side and a rosary/manuscript (mantra) on the other.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual results are traced to dharmic causes—especially the inner power of tapas and the sacred potency of mantra—inviting inquiry rather than blind belief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode sits in a Tīrthamāhātmya context connected with Kedāra/Kedāreśvara worship (as the following verses indicate).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; the verse frames a question about whether tapas (austerity) or mantra (sacred recitation) caused the effect.