Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

दशक्रतुसमः पुत्रो दशपुत्रसमो द्रुमः

Transliteration

daśakratusamaḥ putro daśaputrasamo drumaḥ

Translation

Ein Sohn gilt wie zehn Opfer; und ein Baum gilt wie zehn Söhne.

Word by Word

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (numeral used as prior member)

• kratu: (like) Indra (lit. lord of ten sacrifices)
• kratu: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• samaḥ: equal (to)
• samaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; तुल्य/सम (Masculine, Nominative singular; ‘equal’)

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (numeral used as prior member)

• putra: sons
• putra: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• samaḥ: equal (to)
• samaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; तुल्य/सम (Masculine, Nominative singular; ‘equal’)

• drumaḥ: tree
• drumaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually continuing the merit-scale)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a sage or deity indicates a sapling being planted; on one side a sacrificial altar with ten fires, on the other a family with sons—yet the tree stands central as the greater, life-giving merit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustaining life for many—symbolized by planting a tree—surpasses even major ritual and social merits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is universal and dharmic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tree-planting is recommended implicitly as a high-merit act; yajña is referenced for comparison.