Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

गालवाय महातेजास्तदा कल्पतरुं च सः । कौंडिन्याय महाभागः कितवोपि गृहं तदा

Transliteration

gālavāya mahātejāstadā kalpataruṃ ca saḥ | kauṃḍinyāya mahābhāgaḥ kitavopi gṛhaṃ tadā

Translation

Dann verlieh jener mächtige und ruhmreiche Gālava den Kalpataru, den wunscherfüllenden Baum; und zur selben Zeit gab Kitava, der verkleidete „Spieler“, dem glückbegünstigten Kauṇḍinya auch ein Haus.

Word by Word

• गालवाय: to Gālava
• गालवाय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारयः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (qualifying the giver)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कल्पतरुम्: the wish-fulfilling tree
• कल्पतरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पतरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• कौंडिन्याय: to Kauṇḍinya
• कौंडिन्याय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौण्डिन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• महाभागः: most fortunate/noble
• महाभागः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारयः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (qualifying the giver)

• कितवः: Kitava (the gambler)
• कितवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कितव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (apposition to सः)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• गृहम्: a house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kedārakhaṇḍa audience (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kitava offers a celestial wish-fulfilling tree to Gālava and grants a house to Kauṇḍinya; the hermitage landscape becomes more abundant and settled.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Kauṇḍinya
• Kalpataru
• Kitava (disguised ascetic/devotee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gifts offered selflessly to worthy recipients become acts of dharma that support spiritual merit and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred geography), though this verse itself highlights dāna rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna—bestowing valuable gifts (like a kalpataru and a house) to ṛṣis as an act aligned with devotion.