Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ऋतेन तपसः क्वापि लभ्या ऐश्वर्यसंपदः । पदं ध्रुवादिभिः प्रापि केवलं तपसो बलात्

Transliteration

ṛtena tapasaḥ kvāpi labhyā aiśvaryasaṃpadaḥ | padaṃ dhruvādibhiḥ prāpi kevalaṃ tapaso balāt

Translation

Sans tapas, nulle part ne s’obtiennent prospérité et puissances souveraines. Même la condition sublime atteinte par Dhruva et d’autres fut obtenue uniquement par la force du tapas.

Word by Word

• ऋतेन: by truth/order
• ऋतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; here in sense 'without' is also seen as avyaya 'ऋते'—but form ऋतेन = 'by/with ṛta (truth/order)'

• तपसः: of tapas
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Desha/Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमूहः (adverb: 'anywhere/ever')

• लभ्याः: obtainable
• लभ्याः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लभ्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive potential); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'to be obtained/obtainable'

• ऐश्वर्यसंपदः: prosperities of sovereignty
• ऐश्वर्यसंपदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऐश्वर्यस्य संपदः = riches of lordship)

• पदम्: state, position
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here: प्रथमा (as subject with प्रापि)

• ध्रुवादिभिः: by Dhruva and others
• ध्रुवादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ध्रुवः आदि येषां तैः = by Dhruva and others)

• प्रापि: was attained
• प्रापि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; 'has been attained'

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial use: only/merely)

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

• बलात्: from the power
• बलात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे (from the force/power)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating; doctrinal reinforcement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene: foreground sage in Kāśī teaching; background celestial vision of Dhruva as the fixed pole-star, attained through tapas, with devas witnessing.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All higher attainments—worldly or transcendent—are rooted in disciplined austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is universal, delivered within the Kāśī Vṛddhāditya context that amplifies tapas through sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No discrete rite is listed; the verse upholds tapas as the essential means.