Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तपसा निर्जितश्चास्मि करवाणि च किं प्रियम् । ततः प्राह महेशानं प्रमाणं मे पिता गुरुः

Transliteration

tapasā nirjitaścāsmi karavāṇi ca kiṃ priyam | tataḥ prāha maheśānaṃ pramāṇaṃ me pitā guruḥ

Translation

„Durch deine Askese bin ich bezwungen — welchen lieben Wunsch soll ich dir erfüllen?“ Da sprach sie zu Maheśāna: „Für mich ist mein Vater — mein Guru — die maßgebende Autorität.“

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• निर्जितः: conquered/overcome
• निर्जितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-जि (धातु) → निर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अस्मि’ इत्यनेन सह विधेय-विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• करवाणि: shall I do?/may I do
• करवाणि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative/optative sense in context), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• प्रियम्: pleasing thing/favor
• प्रियम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महेशानम्: Maheśāna (Śiva)
• महेशानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रमाणम्: authority/standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गुरुः: teacher/preceptor
• गुरुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘पिता’ इत्यस्य समनाधिकरणम्

Speaker

Deductive (dialogue within narration; Śiva speaks first line; Pārvatī replies)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, now revealed, speaks with gentle gravity: ‘tapasā nirjitaḥ’; Pārvatī stands composed, palms joined, replying that her father-guru is the authority—emphasizing dharmic decorum amid divine romance.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna (Śiva)
• Pārvatī (implied)
• Himavān (implied as father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity wins divine attention, yet dharma is upheld through proper authority—elders and gurus guide life’s pivotal rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the broader chapter belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies that marriage decisions and rites proceed through the father/guru as the validating authority (pramāṇa), aligning with dharmic procedure.