Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

वृश्चाप्यक्षयस्तस्य तुष्टो रुद्रो वरं ददौ । प्रयाग वटतुल्योऽयमेतत्सत्यं न संशयः

Transliteration

vṛścāpyakṣayastasya tuṣṭo rudro varaṃ dadau | prayāga vaṭatulyo'yametatsatyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

حتى قربانه (للأسلاف) يصير غير نافد؛ وقد سُرَّ رُدرا (Rudra) فمنح هذه النعمة. «هذا الموضع مساوٍ لأكشايافَطَ (Akṣayavaṭa) في براياگا (Prayāga)—هذا حقٌّ لا ريب فيه»۔

Word by Word

• वृश्च: cut (you cut)
• वृश्च: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृश्च (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• अक्षयः: (it is) imperishable; inexhaustible
• अक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; तुष् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• रुद्रः: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• प्रयाग: Prayāga
• प्रयाग: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वटतुल्यः: equal to a banyan tree
• वटतुल्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha; वटेन तुल्यः = equal to a banyan); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this (statement/thing)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc, 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Kriya (Predicative complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc, 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Akṣayavaṭa-tulya-sthāna (local Akṣaya-vaṭa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra, pleased, grants a boon while a sacred banyan (vaṭa) stands as the emblem of inexhaustible merit; pilgrims approach with offerings for ancestors.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Prayāga
• Akṣayavaṭa (implied by Prayāga-vaṭa)
• Siddhakuṇḍa/Siddhakūpa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace makes meritorious acts ‘akṣaya’ when performed at a sanctified site with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Siddhakuṇḍa/Siddhakūpa area is exalted as equal in potency to Prayāga’s famed Akṣayavaṭa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The context is śrāddha/offerings whose fruit becomes akṣaya when performed here.