Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

किमर्थमिति रम्भोरु नवे वयसि दुश्चरम् । तपस्त्वया समारब्धं नानुरूपं विभाति मे

Transliteration

kimarthamiti rambhoru nave vayasi duścaram | tapastvayā samārabdhaṃ nānurūpaṃ vibhāti me

Translation

“为何缘故，哦大腿婀娜的女子，在青春新盛之时竟开始如此艰苦的苦行？你所修的此等苦行，在我看来并不相称。”

Word by Word

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Interrogative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• artham: purpose, reason
• artham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• rambhoru: O one with thighs like Rambhā
• rambhoru: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rambhā-ūru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (रम्भेव ऊरू यस्याः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• nave: in new (tender)
• nave: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• vayasi: in youth, at age
• vayasi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• duścaram: hard to perform
• duścaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duścara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः इत्यस्य)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• samārabdham: undertaken, begun
• samārabdham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√rabh (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तपः इत्यस्य विशेषण

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• anurūpam: suitable, fitting
• anurūpam: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anurūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vibhāti: appears, seems
• vibhāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√bhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/Experiencer/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Dat/Gen), एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (to me/for me sense)

Speaker

Brahmacārin/Vratī (ascetic) addressing Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate speaker addresses a youthful Devī, questioning why she undertakes harsh austerity; Devī stands poised, serene, with attendants nearby, the contrast between youth and ascetic hardship emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Brahmacārin/Vratī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice should be examined for purpose and appropriateness, not merely intensity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is the ethical and spiritual scrutiny of tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is referenced generally; no specific vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed here.