Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । सत्यमेतत्पुरा पार्थ भवस्येदं मनीषितम् । अतप्ततपसा योगो न कर्तव्यो मयाऽनया

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | satyametatpurā pārtha bhavasyedaṃ manīṣitam | ataptatapasā yogo na kartavyo mayā'nayā

Translation

Nārada said: This is true, O prince. Long ago this was Bhava’s (Śiva’s) resolve: “Without tapas having been performed, I shall not undertake union (yoga) with her.”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karma/Predicate complement (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय/प्रत्ययार्थ (predicative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ (demonstrative)

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• पार्थ: O son of Pritha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• भवस्य: of Bhava (Śiva)
• भवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• मनीषितम्: intended, resolved
• मनीषितम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मनीषित (कृदन्त; मन्/मनीष् √man? + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• अतप्ततपसा: by one with unperformed austerity
• अतप्ततपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तप्त-तपस् (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + तप्त (√तप् + क्त) + तपस्)
• Form: बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुष-समास (ataptatapas = one whose tapas is not performed); तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• योगः: yoga, union
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (particle of negation)

• कर्तव्यः: to be done, should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्य (gerundive/obligative, तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनया: with this (woman/one)
• अनया: Sahakari/Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सहकारक (with)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (contextual)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (a prince; as addressed in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada narrates Śiva’s ancient resolve: no union with Umā without prior tapas; Śiva shown as yogin, calm and immovable, with Nārada as messenger-sage.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva (Bhava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and readiness—achieved through tapas—are prerequisites for sacred union and higher purposes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a doctrinal statement within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is prescribed implicitly as a necessary discipline before ‘yoga’ (union).