Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तपःकरण सामर्थ्यं स्थविरस्य न मे यतः । पुनस्तारुण्यमाप्तोहं चरिष्याम्युत्तमं तपः

Transliteration

tapaḥkaraṇa sāmarthyaṃ sthavirasya na me yataḥ | punastāruṇyamāptohaṃ cariṣyāmyuttamaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

വൃദ്ധാവസ്ഥയിൽ തപസ്സു ചെയ്യാനുള്ള ശക്തി എനിക്കില്ല. വീണ്ടും യൗവനം പ്രാപിച്ച് ഞാൻ പുനഃ ഉത്തമ തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിക്കും.

Word by Word

• तपःकरण: performance of tapas
• तपःकरण: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः करणम् = austerity-practice/performing tapas)

• सामर्थ्यम्: capacity, ability
• सामर्थ्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्थविरस्य: of an old man
• स्थविरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थविर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Modifier (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; here: षष्ठी (genitive)

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: 'because/since')

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• तारुण्यम्: youth
• तारुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आप्तः: having obtained
• आप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु) → आप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; with अहम्: 'having obtained'

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• चरिष्यामि: I will practice
• चरिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

• तपः: tapas, austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (narrating); statement voiced by Vṛddhahārīta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged ascetic in Kāśī, leaning on a staff near a ghat, vows to resume supreme austerity upon regaining youth; the river and temple spires frame the resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddhahārīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline requires strength and resolve; the devotee values youth chiefly as a means to pursue higher tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī, as the arena where such transformative spiritual aims are pursued and fulfilled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking ‘uttama tapaḥ’ (higher austerity) is the stated discipline, without a named vrata in this verse.