Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तत्सर्वं प्रकृतेः कार्यं मिथ्यावादो निर्र्थकः । प्रकृतेः परतो भूत्वा किमर्थं तप्यते तपः

Transliteration

tatsarvaṃ prakṛteḥ kāryaṃ mithyāvādo nirrthakaḥ | prakṛteḥ parato bhūtvā kimarthaṃ tapyate tapaḥ

Translation

അത് എല്ലാം പ്രകൃതിയുടെ പ്രവർത്തിയത്രേ; മറിച്ചുപറയുന്നത് വ്യർത്ഥം. നീ സത്യത്തിൽ പ്രകൃതിക്ക് അതീതനാണെങ്കിൽ, ഈ തപസ്സ് എന്തിനാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്?

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; निर्देश

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण (तत् इत्यस्य)

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

• कार्यम्: an effect/work
• कार्यम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विधेय (predicate)

• मिथ्यावादः: false talk
• मिथ्यावादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथ्या + वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः (मिथ्या-वादः = false talk)

• निरर्थकः: meaningless
• निरर्थकः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरर्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण (मिथ्यावादः इत्यस्य)

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

• परतः: beyond
• परतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परतस् (अव्यय; पर + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); तस्-प्रत्ययान्त; 'beyond/from beyond' अर्थे

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• किमर्थम्: for what purpose?
• किमर्थम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किमर्थम् (अव्यय; किम् + अर्थम्)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• तप्यते: is practiced (is undergone)
• तप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is performed/is heated)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Girijā (Pārvatī) (deduced from immediate narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī presses a sharp philosophical point: everything perceived is prakṛti’s work; if Śiva is beyond it, why tapas? The scene shows a contrast between still transcendence and active austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Śaṅkara (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It questions the meaning of austerity if one truly claims transcendence beyond Prakṛti, urging integrity between doctrine and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra/Himālaya sacred region), framing the dialogue within Himalayan tīrtha-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is discussed, but no specific vrata, dāna, or snāna rule is prescribed in this verse.