Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तथाऽद्यप्रभृति प्राज्ञ रत्नदीपान्सुनिर्मलान् । अत्रैव सरसस्तीरे देहि दामोदराय च

Transliteration

tathā'dyaprabhṛti prājña ratnadīpānsunirmalān | atraiva sarasastīre dehi dāmodarāya ca

Translation

Und von heute an, o Weiser, bringe hier am Ufer dieses Sees makellos reine Juwelenlampen dar, auch dem Dāmodara.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• अद्यप्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्यप्रभृति: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + प्रभृति (अव्यय-समास)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (from today onward)

• प्राज्ञ: O wise one
• प्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• रत्नदीपान्: jewel-lamps
• रत्नदीपान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सुनिर्मलान्: very pure
• सुनिर्मलान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of रत्नदीपान्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘very pure’

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सरसः: of the lake
• सरसः: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दामोदराय: to Dāmodara
• दामोदराय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (likely the sage instructing the king; exact identity not stated here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: सरस्-तीर (unnamed lake)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghu-line noble/king addressed as प्राज्ञ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the bank of a serene lake, the devotee begins offering immaculate jewel-like lamps to Dāmodara, the deity’s presence implied or shown as a shrine image.

Characters & Entities

• Dāmodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular devotional offerings (especially light) at a sacred site cultivate purity and sustained divine connection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred lake (sarasa) and its bank are indicated, but the lake’s proper name is not given in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna: offering pure lamps (ratna-dīpa) on the lake-shore, dedicated to Dāmodara.