Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कति स्थानानि किं द्रव्यं का शक्तिः का च देवता । किं प्रमाणं च कः कर्त्ता के मंत्रास्तस्य किं फलम्

Transliteration

kati sthānāni kiṃ dravyaṃ kā śaktiḥ kā ca devatā | kiṃ pramāṇaṃ ca kaḥ karttā ke maṃtrāstasya kiṃ phalam

Translation

എത്ര സ്ഥാനങ്ങൾ? ഏത് ദ്രവ്യം? അതിന്റെ ശക്തി എന്ത്, ഏത് ദേവതയെ ധ്യാനിക്കണം? പ്രമാണം എന്ത്, കർത്താവ് ആര്, അതിന്റെ മന്ത്രങ്ങൾ ഏവ, അതിന്റെ ഫലം എന്ത്?

Word by Word

• कति: how many
• कति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः/संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; (स्थानानि इति पदस्य) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे

• स्थानानि: places, locations
• स्थानानि: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• द्रव्यम्: substance, material
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• का: which/what (fem.)
• का: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• शक्तिः: power, potency
• शक्तिः: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• का: which/what (fem.)
• का: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• देवता: deity
• देवता: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• प्रमाणम्: authority, proof, measure
• प्रमाणम्: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• कः: who/which (masc.)
• कः: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कर्त्ता: doer, performer
• कर्त्ता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ-शब्दः

• के: which/what (plural)
• के: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of that / its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; संकेतः—त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• फलम्: result, fruit
• फलम्: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumāra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheshvara (Rudra/Shiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau with symbolic icons floating or arranged: ash vessel (dravya), trident and damaru (shakti), Shiva-linga or Rudra form (devata), measuring lines on forehead (pramana), a sacred thread and initiation marks (adhikara), and mantra scrolls (mantra).

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumāra
• Tripuṇḍra
• Mantra
• Devatā
• Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred practice is complete only when understood in method, meaning, mantra, qualification, and intended fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; the verse is a technical inquiry into the Tripuṇḍra observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It enumerates the required ritual parameters: bodily locations, material (dravya), deity, measure, performer, mantras, and fruit.