Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

देवगृहे तु पक्षादौ यः करोति विलेपनम् । गोदानशतसाहस्रे दत्ते भवति यत्फलम्

Transliteration

devagṛhe tu pakṣādau yaḥ karoti vilepanam | godānaśatasāhasre datte bhavati yatphalam

Translation

Wer zu Beginn der zweiwöchigen Periode im Haus des Gottes im Tempel eine heilige Salbung bzw. einen heiligen Verputz anbringt, erlangt die Frucht, als hätte er hunderttausend Kühe gespendet.

Word by Word

• देवगृहे: in the temple (god’s house)
• देवगृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवस्य गृहम्)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle

• पक्षादौ: at the beginning of the fortnight
• पक्षादौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative singular; तत्पुरुषः (पक्षस्य आदौ)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person singular, Parasmaipada

• विलेपनम्: smearing/anointing (plastering)
• विलेपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + लेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• गोदानशतसाहस्रे: in (the case of) a hundred-thousand cow-gifts
• गोदानशतसाहस्रे: Adhikarana (Comparison/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोदान + शत + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular; समासः: (गोदानम्) + (शतसाहस्रम्) ‘hundred-thousand of cow-gifts’ (तत्पुरुष-समास)

• दत्ते: is given
• दत्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person singular, Atmanepada; अर्थे ‘when given’ (contextual)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Neuter singular (relative ‘which/that’)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a stone temple, devotees at dawn of pratipadā prepare sacred plaster/unguent and carefully apply it to the sanctum walls or to the deity’s pedestal, with priests supervising; offerings arranged nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-gṛha (temple)
• Pakṣa
• Vilepana
• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble temple service (sevā) is exalted as a powerful form of dharma, equated with vast charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The temple setting within the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha sphere (linked to Māṇḍavyeśvara/Nārāyaṇa worship).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing vilepana (ritual smearing/plastering/anointing) in the temple at the start of a pakṣa (fortnight).