Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

न केवलं तव तपः स्ववांछितफलप्रदम् । तपस्यतामृषीणां च क्षेमायैव भविष्यति

Transliteration

na kevalaṃ tava tapaḥ svavāṃchitaphalapradam | tapasyatāmṛṣīṇāṃ ca kṣemāyaiva bhaviṣyati

Translation

Ton austérité ne donnera pas seulement le fruit que tu désires ; elle deviendra aussi source de bien-être et de protection pour les ṛṣi engagés dans l’ascèse.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• केवलम्: only/merely
• केवलम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial ‘only/merely’)

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्ववांछितफलप्रदम्: granting the fruit you desire
• स्ववांछितफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + वाञ्छित + फल + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वया वाञ्छितं फलम् तस्य प्रदः) विशेषणम् (तपः)

• तपस्यताम्: of those who practice austerities
• तपस्यताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (धातु-निष्पन्न) / तपस्य (धातु) → तपस्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of those performing austerity’

• ऋषीणाम्: of sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction ‘and’)

• क्षेमाय: for welfare
• क्षेमाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सम्प्रदानार्थे (for the sake of)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle ‘indeed/only’)

• भविष्यति: will be/become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

A sage (contextually Gautama or a mahāmuni) addressing Gaurī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala-kṣetra (tapas-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to the same suvratā/tapasvinī as prior verse (contextual continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A central ascetic woman’s tapas emits a subtle protective aura that shelters nearby sages in meditation; the red hill stands as a silent witness, suggesting collective spiritual ecology.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas has a communal dharmic effect: it uplifts and safeguards other spiritual practitioners, not just the performer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala, where the narrative frames tapas as especially potent and world-sustaining.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuation of tapas as a vow whose merit (puṇya) extends to the wider ascetic community.