Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

कृतमायतनं दद्यात्क्रमाद्दशगुणं फलम् । भस्मशायी त्रिषवणो भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः

Transliteration

kṛtamāyatanaṃ dadyātkramāddaśaguṇaṃ phalam | bhasmaśāyī triṣavaṇo bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ

Translation

Wer ein vollendetes Heiligtum spendet, dessen Verdienstfrucht wächst der Ordnung gemäß zehnfach. (Als Asket) liegt er auf Asche, verehrt zu den drei täglichen Übergangszeiten und isst nur Speise, die er durch Almosen erhält.

Word by Word

• kṛta: made, constructed
• kṛta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त/कृत-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; used adjectivally with āyatanaṃ

• āyatanaṃ: a shrine/abode (sanctuary)
• āyatanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kramāt: gradually, in sequence
• kramāt: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त/ablatival adverb): ‘in order/gradually’

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśan (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण; (समासपूर्वपद)

• guṇaṃ: fold, multiple
• guṇaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (समासोत्तरपद)

• daśaguṇaṃ: tenfold
• daśaguṇaṃ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa + guṇa (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वक-निर्धारण), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifying phalam

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma/Phala (Result-object/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचन (or प्रथमा as predicate; here object/result)

• bhasmaśāyī: one who lies on ashes
• bhasmaśāyī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक) + śāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भस्मनि शायी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• triṣavaṇaḥ: (observing) three daily rites
• triṣavaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या) + savana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि सवनानि यस्य/त्रिषवणः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• bhikṣā: alms
• bhikṣā: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• anna: food
• anna: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासमध्यपद)

• kṛta: prepared, made
• kṛta: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; (समासमध्यपद)

• bhojanaḥ: eating/meal (as practice)
• bhojanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (समासोत्तरपद)

• bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ: one whose meal is prepared from alms-food
• bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhikṣā + anna + kṛta + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भिक्षान्नेन कृतं भोजनं यस्य/भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa/bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic donor stands before a newly completed Śiva-āyatana, offering it with water and flowers; nearby, he sits on a bed of sacred ash, performing triṣavana worship, receiving a small bowl of alms-food.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great merit arises from both generous endowment (donating a shrine) and disciplined Shaiva living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse praises the act of āyatana-dāna and ascetic Shaiva conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a completed shrine; practice triṣavaṇa observance, live austerely (bhasmaśāyī), and subsist on alms-food.