Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तपसा परमेणैव प्रकृतिं नाशयाम्यहम् । प्रकृत्या रहितः सुभ्रु अहं तिष्ठमि तत्त्वतः । तस्माच्च प्रकृते सिद्धैर् कार्यः संग्रहः क्वचित्

Transliteration

tapasā parameṇaiva prakṛtiṃ nāśayāmyaham | prakṛtyā rahitaḥ subhru ahaṃ tiṣṭhami tattvataḥ | tasmācca prakṛte siddhair kāryaḥ saṃgrahaḥ kvacit

Translation

ഞാൻ പരമതപസ്സിനാൽ മാത്രമേ പ്രകൃതിയെ ലയിപ്പിക്കൂ. ഹേ സുഭ്രൂ, പ്രകൃതിരഹിതനായി ഞാൻ തത്ത്വത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. അതിനാൽ സിദ്ധർ ചിലപ്പോൾ സ്വന്തം പ്രകൃതിയെ സംയമിച്ച് സംഗ്രഹിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; साधन-निर्देश

• परमेण: supreme
• परमेण: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; विशेषण (tapasā इत्यस्य)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); अवधारणार्थक

• प्रकृतिम्: Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• नाशयामि: I destroy
• नाशयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नाशय् (धातु) < नश् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

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

• प्रकृत्या: by/with Prakṛti
• प्रकृत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• रहितः: devoid (of)
• रहितः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण (अहम् इत्यस्य)

• सुभ्रु: O fair-browed one
• सुभ्रु: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-भ्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — Vocative singular; कर्मधारयः (सु + भ्रू)

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

• तिष्ठामि: I stand/abide
• तिष्ठामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वतः: in truth/essentially
• तत्त्वतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतस् (अव्यय; तत्त्व + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); तस्-प्रत्ययान्त; यथार्थार्थे

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular; हेत्वर्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• प्रकृते: of Prakṛti
• प्रकृते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• सिद्धैः: by the accomplished ones (siddhas)
• सिद्धैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे (agentive instrument)

• कार्यः: to be done/necessary
• कार्यः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विधेय-विशेषण (saṃgrahaḥ इत्यस्य)

• संग्रहः: restraint/collection
• संग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• क्वचित्: sometimes/at some point
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); देश/काल-अनिश्चितार्थक

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva in Himalayan austerity, serene and luminous, speaking of dissolving prakṛti; subtle imagery of guṇas as veils dissolving into stillness while siddhas practice restraint nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Prakṛti
• Siddhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme tapas leads beyond the pull of prakṛti; spiritual maturity includes disciplined restraint of one’s nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra setting is contextual; the verse primarily glorifies inner conquest through tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An inner prescription: practice supreme tapas and cultivate saṃgraha (restraint) of prakṛti.