Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

औषधीनामधीशेऽस्मिञ्छ्राद्धेनानेन तोषिते । व्रीह्यादीनि तु धान्यानि दद्युरोषधयः सदा

Transliteration

auṣadhīnāmadhīśe'smiñchrāddhenānena toṣite | vrīhyādīni tu dhānyāni dadyuroṣadhayaḥ sadā

Translation

Wenn der Herr der Heilkräuter durch dieses Śrāddha erfreut ist, spenden die Kräuter stets Getreidekörner wie Reis und dergleichen.

Word by Word

• औषधीनाम्: of medicinal herbs
• औषधीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अधीशे: in/at the lord (over them)
• अधीशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this (context/occasion)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्राद्धेन: by (this) śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तोषिते: when (he/it is) pleased
• तोषिते: Adhikarana (Circumstantial locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘तोषिते (सति)’—सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute sense)

• व्रीह्यादीनि: rice and the like
• व्रीह्यादीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रीहि + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘व्रीह्यादि’ = व्रीहिः आदिः येषाम् (etc. beginning with rice)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• धान्यानि: grains
• धान्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दद्युः: would give / should grant
• दद्युः: Kriya (Verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/benedictive), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ओषधयः: the herbs (plants)
• ओषधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Setu performs śrāddha beside the sea with kuśa grass and piṇḍas; behind him, lush fields and granaries appear as the auṣadhi-devatā is pleased.

Characters & Entities

• Oṣadhi (herbs)
• Adhīśa (lord of herbs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma performed for ancestors is shown to sustain worldly well-being too—fertility of plants and food security.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukṣetra’s Mahālaya framework; the verse highlights fruit (phala) rather than naming a sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform “this śrāddha” (contextually Mahālaya śrāddha), which pleases the presiding power over herbs and yields abundance.