Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

नैवेद्यं ये प्रयच्छंति भकया हरिहराग्रतः । सिक्थेसिक्थे क्रतुफलं प्राप्नुवंति हि ते नराः

Transliteration

naivedyaṃ ye prayacchaṃti bhakayā hariharāgrataḥ | sikthesikthe kratuphalaṃ prāpnuvaṃti hi te narāḥ

Translation

Wer in Hingabe Naivedya, die Speisegabe, vor Hari und Hara darbringt, erlangt die Frucht der Opfer; wahrlich, bei jedem Schritt und in jedem kleinsten Maß empfängt er das Verdienst eines Yajña.

Word by Word

• नैवेद्यम्: food offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative, Singular, Neuter

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative, Plural

• प्रयच्छन्ति: offer
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present, 3rd person, Plural

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental, Singular, Feminine

• हरिहर-अग्रतः: in front of Hari and Hara
• हरिहर-अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हरि + हर + अग्रतस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; ‘अग्रतः’ इति अव्यय (adverb of place) — ‘in front of’; समासः—हरिहरयोः अग्रतः

• सिक्थे: in each particle/drop (lit. in wax/bit)
• सिक्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative, Singular, Neuter (पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः)

• सिक्थे: in each (repeated for emphasis)
• सिक्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिक्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative, Singular, Neuter (पुनरुक्ति)

• क्रतुफलम्: the fruit of a sacrifice
• क्रतुफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative, Singular, Neuter; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्रतोः फलम्)

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: they obtain
• प्राप्नुवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present, 3rd person, Plural

• हि: indeed, surely
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Pronoun, Nominative, Plural

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative, Plural, Masculine

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Hari-Hara worship context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees place bowls of cooked rice/sweets and fruits before a sanctified image/linga-symbolic presence of Hari-Hara; priests distribute prasāda as pilgrims circumambulate.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Hara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small devotional offerings made sincerely before the Divine yield great merit comparable to major Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred region (Kedārakhaṇḍa), associated with Śiva’s holy presence in the Himalayas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering naivedya (food-offering) with bhakti before Hari-Hara as a meritorious act.