Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

देहवासं परित्यक्ष्ये प्राप्स्ये वाभिमतं पतिम् । असाध्यं चाप्यभीष्टं च कथं प्राप्यं तपो विना

Transliteration

dehavāsaṃ parityakṣye prāpsye vābhimataṃ patim | asādhyaṃ cāpyabhīṣṭaṃ ca kathaṃ prāpyaṃ tapo vinā

Translation

私はこの肉体を捨てるか、あるいは望む夫を得るでしょう。苦行なくして、いかにして困難な願いが叶うでしょうか。

Word by Word

• dehavāsam: dwelling in the body
• dehavāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha + vāsa (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देहस्य वासः); accusative singular masculine

• parityakṣye: I shall abandon
• parityakṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; 1st person singular future

• prāpsye: I shall obtain
• prāpsye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; 1st person singular future

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• abhimatam: desired
• abhimatam: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhimata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular masculine; विशेषण (to patim)

• patim: husband
• patim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular masculine

• asādhyam: unattainable
• asādhyam: Kriya-anvaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asādhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular neuter (predicate)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

• abhīṣṭam: desired (thing)
• abhīṣṭam: Kriya-anvaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular neuter (predicate)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• katham: how
• katham: Prashna (Interrogative manner/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न-प्रकारवाचक (how?)

• prāpyam: obtainable/to be attained
• prāpyam: Kriya-anvaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; gerundive/potential passive participle; ‘to be obtained’

• tapaḥ: austerity/penance
• tapaḥ: Hetu (Means/condition/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here in vinā-construction (ablatival sense)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apadana (Separation/absence/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-निपात (preposition-like particle) governing accusative/ablatival sense; ‘without’

Speaker

Narrator (reporting the maiden’s resolve)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapas-bhūmi (Himālaya archetype)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daughter declares firm resolve: renounce the body or attain the desired husband; she asserts that without tapas the difficult and desired cannot be gained.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True attainment requires disciplined effort (tapas); mere wishing is not presented as sufficient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is a general dharmic principle about tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is advocated broadly—implying vrata-like discipline, restraint, and sustained spiritual practice.