Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एतेषां परलोकोऽत्र विद्यते ये तपोरताः । न च मर्त्यफलं किंचिदपि स्वल्पतरं भवेत्

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ paraloko'tra vidyate ye taporatāḥ | na ca martyaphalaṃ kiṃcidapi svalpataraṃ bhavet

Translation

Pour ceux qui sont voués à l’austérité, c’est « l’autre monde » qui compte véritablement ici; pour eux, nul fruit du monde des hommes—fût-il infime—n’a d’importance.

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परलोकः: the other world, afterlife
• परलोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (परः लोकः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/सत्तायाम् प्रयोगः (exists)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तपोरताः: devoted to austerity
• तपोरताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तपसि रताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'ये')

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

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मर्त्यफलम्: mortal (worldly) fruit/result
• मर्त्यफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्यफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मर्त्यस्य फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• किंचित्: anything, some (thing)
• किंचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाण (some/any)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• स्वल्पतरम्: smaller, more trifling
• स्वल्पतरम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्पतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीय-तुलनात्मक (comparative degree) विशेषण

• भवेत्: would be, might become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

The wives (bhāryāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm ascetic (tapasvin) seated near a sacred landscape, turning away from small worldly offerings, gaze lifted toward a luminous ‘higher world’ symbolized by a radiant horizon or celestial path.

Characters & Entities

• tapas (austerity)
• paraloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those established in tapas prioritize transcendent merit over short-lived worldly gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as a path, but no specific rite is prescribed here.