Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तत्र यत्प्राकृतं नाम प्रकृतिप्रमुखस्य तत् । चतुर्विंशतितत्त्वानां गणस्योक्तं हि तर्पणम्

Transliteration

tatra yatprākṛtaṃ nāma prakṛtipramukhasya tat | caturviṃśatitattvānāṃ gaṇasyoktaṃ hi tarpaṇam

Translation

അവിടെ ‘പ്രാകൃതം’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നതു പ്രകൃതിയെയും പ്രകൃതി-പ്രമുഖ തത്ത്വങ്ങളെയും സംബന്ധിച്ചതാണ്; അതേ ഇരുപത്തിനാലു തത്ത്വഗണത്തിന്റെ ‘തർപ്പണം’ എന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there; in that context
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• यत्: which/that (relative)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• प्राकृतम्: natural; material; prakṛtic
• प्राकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies यत्/नाम)

• नाम: name; designation
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• प्रकृतिप्रमुखस्य: of the group headed by Prakṛti
• प्रकृतिप्रमुखस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रकृतिः प्रमुखः यस्य)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (demonstrative)

• चतुर्विंशतितत्त्वानाम्: of the twenty-four principles (tattvas)
• चतुर्विंशतितत्त्वानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (चतुर्विंशतिः तत्त्वानि)

• गणस्य: of the group
• गणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन

• उक्तम्: is said; is declared
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (said/declared)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• तर्पणम्: satiation; offering that satisfies
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

Speaker

Kamaṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative teaching scene: a sage explains the 24 tattvas as a garland/assembly (gaṇa) around Prakṛti, with the inner witness shining apart; ‘tarpaṇa’ is shown as a subtle offering that calms the tattvas.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Caturviṃśati-tattva (24 principles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical nourishment supports the embodied system constituted by Prakṛti and the tattvas; dharma recognizes both body-order and higher spiritual aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is philosophical, using Sāṃkhya-style tattva language within a Purāṇic discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

‘Tarpaṇa’ is used conceptually as ‘satisfaction/nourishment’ of the tattva-aggregate; it is not a standalone rite here.