Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

विष्णुनामसमोपेतं भविष्यति तदक्षयम् । दत्तं स्वल्पमपि प्रायः श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा

Transliteration

viṣṇunāmasamopetaṃ bhaviṣyati tadakṣayam | dattaṃ svalpamapi prāyaḥ śraddhāpūtena cetasā

Translation

Jede Gabe, die zusammen mit dem Namen Viṣṇus dargebracht wird, wird unvergänglich. Selbst eine kleine Spende bringt gewöhnlich unfehlbares Verdienst, wenn sie mit einem durch Glauben geläuterten Geist gegeben wird.

Word by Word

• viṣṇu-nāma-samopetam: accompanied by the name of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu-nāma-samopetam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक) + samupeta (सम्+उप+इ-धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः नाम्ना समोपेतम्)

• bhaviṣyati: will be/become
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू-धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• akṣayam: imperishable, inexhaustible
• akṣayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• dattam: given (a gift)
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा-धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• svalpam: small, little
• svalpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: even/also)

• prāyaḥ: generally, for the most part
• prāyaḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रायशः (adverb: generally/mostly)

• śraddhā-pūtena: purified by faith
• śraddhā-pūtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक) + pūta (पू-धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (श्रद्धया पूतेन)

• cetasā: with the mind
• cetasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate context: “maheśvaravacaḥ” in 120)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers a small handful of grain/coins to a brāhmaṇa or temple attendant while softly chanting ‘Nārāyaṇa’; the gift glows symbolically as ‘akṣaya’ (endless) like a stream of light.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled giving, sanctified by remembrance of Viṣṇu, becomes imperishable merit (akṣaya-puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the general tīrtha-mahātmya theme; the specific site is introduced later in the chapter as Atithi’s own tīrtha in the Hāṭakeśvara region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna (charity) with śraddhā and with Viṣṇu’s name/remembrance to make the gift’s merit inexhaustible.