Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 203

Devanagari script

एको दानानि सर्वाणि यच्छति श्रद्धयान्वितः । षडक्षरं जपेन्मंत्रमन्यस्ताभ्यां समं फलम्

Transliteration

eko dānāni sarvāṇi yacchati śraddhayānvitaḥ | ṣaḍakṣaraṃ japenmaṃtramanyastābhyāṃ samaṃ phalam

Translation

رجلٌ ذو إيمانٍ يهبُ جميع أنواع الصدقات؛ وآخرُ يداوم على جَپَا المانترا ذات الستة مقاطع—وقد أُعلن أن ثمرتها مساوية لثمرة تلك الصدقات العظيمة.

Word by Word

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘दानानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• यच्छति: gives
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + √इ (धातु) → अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘एकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• षडक्षरम्: the six-syllabled (mantra)
• षडक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical): षड्-अक्षरम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताभ्याम्: than/with those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Comparison basis/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Instr./Abl.), द्विवचन (Dual) — ‘(दान-यज्ञादि) द्वाभ्याम्’ इत्यर्थे

• समम्: equal
• समम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Result/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic tīrtha-māhātmya style within Nāgara-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two parallel vignettes: on one side a donor distributing varied gifts with reverence; on the other a seated japa practitioner counting beads; above them a balanced scale indicating equal fruit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional mantra-japa, performed with faith, can equal the merit of extensive external giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a general tīrtha-māhātmya teaching within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; no single site is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Two paths are contrasted: comprehensive dāna (charitable giving) and ṣaḍakṣara-mantra japa; the latter is said to yield equal fruit.