Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तपः करिष्यामि यदसाध्यं सुरैरपि । स्वपुत्रं स्वे पदे धृत्वा ततश्चक्रे तपो महत्

Transliteration

tasmāttapaḥ kariṣyāmi yadasādhyaṃ surairapi | svaputraṃ sve pade dhṛtvā tataścakre tapo mahat

Translation

„Darum werde ich Tapas üben, das selbst für die Götter unerreichbar ist.“ Nachdem er seinen eigenen Sohn an seine Stelle gesetzt hatte, begann er daraufhin ein großes Tapas.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (हेतौ/तस्मादर्थे) — 'therefore/from that reason'

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — 'austerity'

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

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Correlative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — सम्बन्धसूचक 'that which'

• असाध्यम्: unattainable
• असाध्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असाध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (यत्)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Agent-like instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — 'by the gods'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — 'even'

• स्वपुत्रम्: his own son
• स्वपुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक: स्व + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — 'own son'

• स्वे: in his own
• स्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — विशेषणम् (पदे)

• पदे: in (his) place/status
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — 'in (his) position/state'

• धृत्वा: having placed
• धृत्वा: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धृ (धातु) → धृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय — 'having placed/holding'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) — 'then'

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'did/performed'

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — विशेषणम् (तपः)

Speaker

Narrator (with embedded resolve of Viśvāmitra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ruler/householder ceremonially places his son on the seat of authority, then turns away toward the forest with staff and waterpot, signaling the start of ‘mahat tapas’.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• surāḥ (gods)
• son (sva-putra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pursuit of spiritual elevation requires sacrifice, responsibility, and sustained austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not name a tīrtha; it narrates the preparatory act leading into sacred practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is the prescribed practice in principle, without a specific vrata-method described.