Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पानीयदधिदुग्धाद्यैः क्रमाद्दशगुणं फलम् । मासं संस्नाप्य वै भक्त्या पिष्टाद्यैश्च विरूक्षयेत्

Transliteration

pānīyadadhidugdhādyaiḥ kramāddaśaguṇaṃ phalam | māsaṃ saṃsnāpya vai bhaktyā piṣṭādyaiśca virūkṣayet

Translation

Mit Wasser, Quark, Milch und dergleichen—der Reihe nach—wird die Frucht zehnfach. Hat man (den Liṅga) einen Monat lang in Hingabe gebadet, soll man ihn auch mit Mehl und ähnlichen Stoffen bestreuen oder bestäuben.

Word by Word

• पानीयदधिदुग्धाद्यैः: with water, curd, milk, etc.
• पानीयदधिदुग्धाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय (प्रातिपदिक) + दधि (प्रातिपदिक) + दुग्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समाहारभावः (पानीयं दधि दुग्धं च इत्यादि)

• क्रमात्: gradually/in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/पञ्चमी-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial: 'in order/gradually')

• दशगुणम्: tenfold
• दशगुणम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (फलम् इति)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• मासम्: for a month
• मासम्: Adhikarana (Time-span/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे द्वितीया (accusative of duration)

• संस्नाप्य: having bathed/washed (it)
• संस्नाप्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्ना (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• पिष्टाद्यैः: with flour/paste etc.
• पिष्टाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; (पिष्टं इत्यादि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विरूक्षयेत्: should dry/roughen (it)
• विरूक्षयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + रूक्षय् (धातु; causative of √रुक्ष्/रूक्ष्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calendar-like sequence of daily abhiṣekas: water, then curd, then milk, with the devotee returning each day for a month; finally, a gentle dusting/sprinkling of flour over the sanctified liṅga as a concluding rite.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained devotion over time (a month-long practice) magnifies merit, especially when offerings are made in prescribed order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha; it frames a general vrata-style regimen of Śiva-liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sequential abhiṣeka using water/curd/milk etc., performed for a month with devotion, plus a further application/sprinkling using flour and similar items.