Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कथं च प्राप्तवान्सिद्धिं सिद्धमातुः प्रसादतः । एतदाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन श्रोतुं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

kathaṃ ca prāptavānsiddhiṃ siddhamātuḥ prasādataḥ | etadācakṣva tattvena śrotuṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

കൂടാതെ സിദ്ധമാതാവിന്റെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ അദ്ദേഹം എങ്ങനെ സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു? ഇത് തത്ത്വത്തോടെ ഞങ്ങളോട് പറയുക; കേൾക്കാൻ ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് വലിയ കൗതുകമുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• प्राप्तवान्: obtained, attained
• प्राप्तवान्: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• सिद्धिम्: success, accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिद्धमातुः: of Siddhamātā
• सिद्धमातुः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रसादतः: due to (her) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘from/because of’), हेत्वर्थे

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Request/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वेन: in truth, accurately
• तत्त्वेन: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रकार/रीत्यर्थे

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थे

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘indeed/for’)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुवचन, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive) / चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative) रूप; अत्र ‘अस्माकम्’ (Genitive)

Speaker

Sages (question to the narrator, per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhamātā-sthāna (associated with Siddhaliṅga/Guptakṣetra)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaunaka’s earnest request: sages with attentive faces; Sūta poised to begin the detailed account; in a symbolic overlay, Siddhamātā’s compassionate visage and a liṅga-shrine appear as the unseen source of siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhamātā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True attainment (siddhi) is portrayed as arising from divine grace, not merely personal effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it focuses on the grace of Siddhamātā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, dāna, or snāna is stated here—only a request to narrate the truth of the attainment.