Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 203

Devanagari script

एको दानानि सर्वाणि यच्छति श्रद्धयान्वितः । षडक्षरं जपेन्मंत्रमन्यस्ताभ्यां समं फलम्

Transliteration

eko dānāni sarvāṇi yacchati śraddhayānvitaḥ | ṣaḍakṣaraṃ japenmaṃtramanyastābhyāṃ samaṃ phalam

Translation

Einer, von Glauben erfüllt, spendet alle Arten von Gaben; ein anderer wiederholt die sechssilbige Mantra-Japa—ihr Ertrag wird als dem (großen Almosen) gleich verkündet.

Word by Word

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘दानानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• यच्छति: gives
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + √इ (धातु) → अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘एकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• षडक्षरम्: the six-syllabled (mantra)
• षडक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical): षड्-अक्षरम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताभ्याम्: than/with those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Comparison basis/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Instr./Abl.), द्विवचन (Dual) — ‘(दान-यज्ञादि) द्वाभ्याम्’ इत्यर्थे

• समम्: equal
• समम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Result/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic tīrtha-māhātmya style within Nāgara-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two parallel vignettes: on one side a donor distributing varied gifts with reverence; on the other a seated japa practitioner counting beads; above them a balanced scale indicating equal fruit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional mantra-japa, performed with faith, can equal the merit of extensive external giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a general tīrtha-māhātmya teaching within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; no single site is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Two paths are contrasted: comprehensive dāna (charitable giving) and ṣaḍakṣara-mantra japa; the latter is said to yield equal fruit.