Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

महत्कर्माणि यानीह तेषां मूलं सदा तपः । नातप्ततपसां सिद्धिर्महत्कर्माणि यांति वै

Transliteration

mahatkarmāṇi yānīha teṣāṃ mūlaṃ sadā tapaḥ | nātaptatapasāṃ siddhirmahatkarmāṇi yāṃti vai

Translation

Quelles que soient les grandes œuvres en ce monde, leur racine est toujours l’ascèse ; ceux qui n’ont pas pratiqué le tapas n’atteignent pas l’accomplissement dans les vastes entreprises.

Word by Word

• महत्कर्माणि: great deeds
• महत्कर्माणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• यानि: which
• यानि: Anvaya-link (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adverbial (देश/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• मूलम्: root, basis
• मूलम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adverbial (काल/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक (adverb of time)

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

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

• अतप्ततपसाम्: of those without performed austerity
• अतप्ततपसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-तप्त-तपस् (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + तप्त (√तप् + क्त) + तपस्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ataptatapas = one whose tapas is not performed); षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सिद्धिः: success, attainment
• सिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महत्कर्माणि: great deeds
• महत्कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• यान्ति: reach, attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खलु-अर्थे (particle)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: tapas visualized as a steady flame beneath a great enterprise—temple, yajña, or spiritual ascent—showing cause and effect.

Characters & Entities

• Tapas
• Siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained discipline (tapas) is the hidden foundation behind all meaningful achievement—worldly or spiritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse offers a universal principle rather than a place-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is presented as the essential practice leading to siddhi.