Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

किं तु तत्तपसा साध्यं मन्येहं सुरसंगमम् । तस्मादादौ करिष्यामि तपो घोरं दनोः सुताः

Transliteration

kiṃ tu tattapasā sādhyaṃ manyehaṃ surasaṃgamam | tasmādādau kariṣyāmi tapo ghoraṃ danoḥ sutāḥ

Translation

Pourtant, je tiens que l’accès à la compagnie des dieux s’obtient par l’austérité (tapas). C’est pourquoi, d’abord, j’entreprendrai un tapas terrible, ô fils de Danu.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg); विशेषणम्

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

• साध्यम्: to be achieved
• साध्यम्: Karmapravachaniya/Predicate (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक; √साध् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (to be accomplished)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (I think)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom sg)

• सुरसंगमम्: meeting with the gods
• सुरसंगमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्धार्थ (surasya saṅgamaḥ)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूपेण हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (locative used adverbially: at first)

• करिष्यामि: I will perform
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (I will do)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg)

• घोरम्: terrible, severe
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दनोः: of Danu
• दनोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen sg)

• सुताः: sons
• सुताः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom pl); संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (vocative sense possible)

Speaker

Tāraka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An Asura leader addressing the sons of Danu, declaring that severe tapas is the gateway to meeting/overcoming the gods; a tense council scene before departure to the wilderness.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Danu
• Dānavas
• Devas (suras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is portrayed as a potent spiritual force; Purāṇic dharma cautions that the intention behind austerity determines whether its fruits uplift or destroy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse introduces the motif of austerity for attaining power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is mentioned generally, without a specific vrata, mantra, or tīrtha-procedure.