Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 174

Devanagari script

केन देव प्रकारेण तोषं यास्यसि शंकर । मर्त्यानां केन दानेन तपसा नियमेन वा

Transliteration

kena deva prakāreṇa toṣaṃ yāsyasi śaṃkara | martyānāṃ kena dānena tapasā niyamena vā

Translation

«O Gott, o Śaṅkara, auf welche Weise wirst du zufrieden? Durch welche Gabe unter den Sterblichen—durch welche Askese oder durch welche Zucht—bist du erfüllt?»

Word by Word

• केन: by what/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (आमन्त्रण), एकवचन

• प्रकारेण: by what manner
• प्रकारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• तोषम्: satisfaction/pleasure
• तोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• यास्यसि: will you attain
• यास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• केन: by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• दानेन: by giving/gift
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

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

• नियमेन: by observance/discipline
• नियमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Umā/Śivā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (implied by section)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Umā, poised and compassionate, asks Śaṅkara the practical means by which mortals can please him—through gifts, austerities, and disciplines. The scene focuses on her questioning gesture and Śiva’s receptive calm.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Umā/Śivā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion seeks right method—charity, austerity, and disciplined living—aimed at pleasing the Divine rather than personal display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it prepares for teachings that, in this section, support the glory of Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General categories are named: dāna (charity), tapas (austerity), and niyama (religious discipline), without specifics yet.