Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

वितानं ये प्रयच्छति नराः सुकृतिनोपि हि । तारयति कुलं कृत्स्नं शिवलोकं गताः पुनः

Transliteration

vitānaṃ ye prayacchati narāḥ sukṛtinopi hi | tārayati kulaṃ kṛtsnaṃ śivalokaṃ gatāḥ punaḥ

Translation

Selbst tugendhafte Menschen, die ein vitāna (Baldachin, Überdachung) für den heiligen Raum spenden, erheben ihr ganzes Geschlecht; in Shivas Welt gelangt, werden sie durch dieses Verdienst erneut zu Rettern der ganzen Familie.

Word by Word

• vitānam: canopy/awning
• vitānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• prayacchati: gives/offers
• prayacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√yam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; पाठानुसारं एकवचनम् (अर्थे बहुवचन-कर्तृकं)

• narāḥ: men/people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sukṛtinā: by merit / being virtuous
• sukṛtinā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukṛtin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सुकृतिना = पुण्येन/पुण्यवान्)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

• tārayati: saves/carries across
• tārayati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṛ (धातु) [णिच् causative: tārayati]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• kulam: family/lineage
• kulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• kṛtsnam: entire
• kṛtsnam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• śivalokam: Śiva's world
• śivalokam: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (गत्यर्थे कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य लोकः)

• gatāḥ: having gone
• gatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gam (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• punaḥ: again/thereafter
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (again/then)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly decorated canopy erected over a Śiva shrine/ritual area, protecting devotees from rain/snow; donors offer cloth and poles; priests bless; a visionary scene shows ancestors rejoicing and a path to Śiva-loka.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings made for sacred worship benefit not only the donor but also their entire lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śaiva holy region, emphasizing temple-support as a family-liberating merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donating a vitāna (canopy/awning) for the temple or ritual space.