Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यत्फलं लभते नारी समस्तैर्विहितैर्व्रतैः । गौरीसमुद्भवैश्चैव दानैर्दत्तैस्तदिष्टजैः । तत्फलं लभते सर्वं जलयन्त्रस्य कारणात्

Transliteration

yatphalaṃ labhate nārī samastairvihitairvrataiḥ | gaurīsamudbhavaiścaiva dānairdattaistadiṣṭajaiḥ | tatphalaṃ labhate sarvaṃ jalayantrasya kāraṇāt

Translation

Welchen Lohn auch immer eine Frau durch alle ordnungsgemäß vorgeschriebenen Gelübde erlangt, und durch Opfergaben und Spenden, die aus Gaurī hervorgehen und ihr lieb sind—diesen ganzen Lohn empfängt sie durch die bloße Tat, das Jalayantra zu errichten.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever; that which
• yat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (with labhate)

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• nārī: a woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

• samastaiḥ: by all; with all
• samastaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of vrataiḥ)

• vihitaiḥ: prescribed; enjoined
• vihitaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (prescribed)

• vrataiḥ: vows; observances
• vrataiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करण (means: by vows)

• gaurīsamudbhavaiḥ: (with gifts) arising from/related to Gaurī
• gaurīsamudbhavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaurī-samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक; गौरी + समुद्भव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; दान-विशेषण (arising from/connected with Gaurī)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• dānaiḥ: by gifts; through donations
• dānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करण

• dattaiḥ: given
• dattaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (given)

• tadiṣṭajaiḥ: arising from the desired (rite); as wished-for
• tadiṣṭajaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad-iṣṭa-ja (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + इष्ट + ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; दान-विशेषण (born of that desired [act]/as wished)

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; संकेत (correlative: that)

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• sarvam: all; entire
• sarvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of phalam)

• jalayantrasya: of the water-device
• jalayantrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala-yantra (प्रातिपदिक; जल + यन्त्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the water-device)

• kāraṇāt: because of; due to
• kāraṇāt: Apadana (Ablative/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcapiṇḍikā-Gaurī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: on one side, many vrata implements and gift baskets; on the other, a single jalayantra dripping steadily—shown as outweighing all; Gaurī’s compassionate gaze blesses the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Jalayantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A focused, heartfelt rite at a sacred shrine can equal the merit of many dispersed vows and gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha of Gaurī Pañcapiṇḍikā where the jalayantra practice is extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Installing/maintaining a jalayantra as a meritorious act, presented as yielding the combined fruits of multiple vratas and dānas.