Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अहं तपः करिष्यामि ब्राह्मण्यस्य कृते प्रभो । त्वदीये पर्वतश्रेष्ठे कैलासे शरणं गतः

Transliteration

ahaṃ tapaḥ kariṣyāmi brāhmaṇyasya kṛte prabho | tvadīye parvataśreṣṭhe kailāse śaraṇaṃ gataḥ

Translation

Ô Seigneur, j’accomplirai des austérités pour la sauvegarde du brāhmaṇya. Sur ta propre montagne souveraine, le Kailāsa, je suis venu chercher refuge.

Word by Word

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

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्मरूपे)

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

• ब्राह्मण्यस्य: of brahminhood / Brahmin status
• ब्राह्मण्यस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• कृते: for the sake of
• कृते: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निमित्त/हेतु-अर्थे) — ‘कृते’ = for the sake of

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• त्वदीये: in your
• त्वदीये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘त्वदीय’ = your

• पर्वतश्रेष्ठे: on the best of mountains
• पर्वतश्रेष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः पर्वतः)

• कैलासे: on Kailāsa
• कैलासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: having taken (refuge) / having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गतः’ = having gone/come

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (deduced; addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Kailāsa’s slopes, the devotee addresses Śiva: hands folded, head bowed, declaring refuge and intent to perform tapas for brāhmaṇya; Śiva’s presence is felt as towering calm above.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsa
• Śiva (Prabhu/Maheśvara)
• brāhmaṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment is strengthened by śaraṇāgati (refuge) in the Lord alongside disciplined tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is highlighted as the Lord’s own supreme mountain, a sanctified ground for austerity and refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is affirmed as the intended practice, undertaken in a sanctified place with devotional refuge.