Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तपो दानं जपश्चात्र कूपे भवति चाक्षयम्

Transliteration

tapo dānaṃ japaścātra kūpe bhavati cākṣayam

Translation

Askese, Gabe und Mantra-Japa, die hier an diesem Brunnen vollzogen werden, werden in ihrer Frucht unvergänglich.

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• दानम्: charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• जपः: recitation
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कूपे: in the well
• कूपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Karta-pravacaniya/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘तपः/दानम्/जपः’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Bābhravya (mahātmya assertion)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-kūpa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three vignettes around the well: an ascetic in tapas (fasting posture), a householder offering dāna to a brāhmaṇa, and a devotee counting japa beads—each framed by the same sacred kūpa, suggesting ‘akṣaya’ radiance emanating from it.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada-kūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When performed at a sanctified tīrtha, core dharmic acts yield enduring, inexhaustible merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nārada-kūpa (the sacred well).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To undertake tapas, give dāna, and perform japa at the well for akṣaya-phala (imperishable results).