Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तदक्षयफलं सर्वं ब्रह्मणो वचनं यथा । इष्ट्वात्र यज्ञमेकं तु कोटियज्ञफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

tadakṣayaphalaṃ sarvaṃ brahmaṇo vacanaṃ yathā | iṣṭvātra yajñamekaṃ tu koṭiyajñaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

All dieses Verdienst ist unvergänglich—so wie Brahmās Wort unfehlbar ist. Wer hier auch nur ein einziges Opfer darbringt, erlangt die Frucht von zehn Millionen Opfern.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश

• अक्षयफलम्: imperishable fruit
• अक्षयफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय-फल (प्रातिपदिक; अक्षय + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समस्तवाचक

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• वचनम्: statement/word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• इष्ट्वा: having sacrificed
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इष्‍ट्वा (कृदन्त; √यज्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); √यज् (to sacrifice)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• यज्ञम्: a sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक अव्यय

• कोटियज्ञफलम्: the fruit of a crore of sacrifices
• कोटियज्ञफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि-यज्ञ-फल (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + यज्ञ + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compact yajña-śālā near Koṭitīrtha: a single fire altar blazing, priests chanting; above, a subtle Brahmā figure or symbolic ‘Brahmā’s word’ as a radiant script/voice indicating certainty and akṣaya fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Koṭitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography magnifies dharmic acts: a single rite done at a powerful tīrtha can yield vast, enduring merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha, praised as a place where ritual merit becomes multiplied and imperishable.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing a yajña (sacrifice) at this site—even one—is said to equal the fruit of countless yajñas.