Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

नैवेद्येन च केन त्वं केन होमेन तुष्यसि । केन कष्टेन वा देव केनार्घेण मम प्रभो

Transliteration

naivedyena ca kena tvaṃ kena homena tuṣyasi | kena kaṣṭena vā deva kenārgheṇa mama prabho

Translation

«Et par quelle offrande de nourriture (naivedya) es-tu satisfait, et par quel homa (rite d’oblation) trouves-tu contentement ? Par quelle épreuve, ô Dieu, et par quelle offrande d’arghya, mon Seigneur ?»

Word by Word

• नैवेद्येन: by (what) food-offering
• नैवेद्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• केन: by what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• केन: by what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• होमेन: by (what) oblation/fire-offering
• होमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तुष्यसि: you are pleased
• तुष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• केन: by what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कष्टेन: by (what) hardship/effort
• कष्टेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• केन: by what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्घेण: by (what) arghya/offering of respect
• अर्घेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• मम: my / of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Umā/Śivā (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, hands folded, asks Śaṅkara in a sacred Prabhāsa setting about the offerings and rites that truly satisfy him; ritual vessels (arghya-pātra), fire-altar (homa-kuṇḍa), and naivedya trays are present as symbolic props.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Prabhu/Deva)
• Umā/Śivā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is both offering and effort—material gifts, sacred rites, and personal endurance are all to be oriented toward the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly; the verse is part of the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references naivedya (food offering), homa (fire oblation), arghya (honor-offering), and kaṣṭa (austerity/effort) as possible means of worship.