Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

प्रदाने च वितानस्य तथा धारागृहस्य च । दीपदाने किं फलं स्यात्पूजायां किं फलं भवेत्

Transliteration

pradāne ca vitānasya tathā dhārāgṛhasya ca | dīpadāne kiṃ phalaṃ syātpūjāyāṃ kiṃ phalaṃ bhavet

Translation

وما فضل التبرّع بالمظلّة (فيتانا) وكذلك ببيت سيلان الماء (دهاراغْرِها)؟ وما ثمرة إهداء المصابيح (ديبا-دانا)، وما ثمرة العبادة ذاتها؟

Word by Word

• pradāne: in (the act of) giving; in donation
• pradāne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vitānasya: of a canopy/pavilion
• vitānasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise; similarly
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: in like manner)

• dhārāgṛhasya: of a water-shed/stream-house (dhārāgṛha)
• dhārāgṛhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhārā + gṛha (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dhārāyāḥ gṛham)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dīpadāne: in lamp-offering; in giving a lamp
• dīpadāne: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa + dāna (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dīpasya dānam)

• kim: what?
• kim: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• syāt: would be; may be
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• pūjāyām: in worship
• pūjāyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• kim: what?
• kim: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhavet: would become; would be
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Śaiva-knowing sage (contextually the forthcoming speaker’s authority is invoked)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himalayan Kedāra: ascetics ask about merits of canopy-donation, water-shed construction, lamp-offering, and pūjā before Śiva; a temple lamp glows against snowy peaks while pilgrims drink from a dhārāgṛha spout.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expresses itself through both direct worship and supportive acts that serve pilgrims and sacred spaces, each bearing merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s context ties these offerings to the Kedāra pilgrimage region and Śiva shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donations of vitāna (canopy), dhārāgṛha (water facility), and dīpa-dāna (lamp offering), along with pūjā (worship).