Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सौवर्णै राजतै रत्ननिर्मितैः कुसुमैर्नृप । तथाविधेऽन्नदानादि करोमि नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

sauvarṇai rājatai ratnanirmitaiḥ kusumairnṛpa | tathāvidhe'nnadānādi karomi nṛpasattama

Translation

O king—best of rulers—using flowers fashioned of gold, silver, and gems, I performed offerings and charities such as the gift of food, in that very manner.

Word by Word

• सौवर्णैः: with golden (ones)
• सौवर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural)

• राजतैः: with silver (ones)
• राजतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural)

• रत्ननिर्मितैः: made of gems
• रत्ननिर्मितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न + निर्मित (कृदन्त; √मा/मि (माने/मितौ) + नि- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (रत्नैः निर्मिताः); पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• कुसुमैः: with flowers
• कुसुमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (vocative singular)

• तथाविधे: such (a kind of)
• तथाविधे: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (तथा-विदः = तादृशः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (accusative singular)

• अन्नदानादि: food-giving and the like (charities)
• अन्नदानादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नदान + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (अन्नदानम् + आदि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (object)

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (नृपाणां सत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal donor arranges ritual offerings: gem-studded, gold and silver flower-forms laid before a Śaiva altar, while attendants distribute food to supplicants and Brahmins.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by surrounding context of worship)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through both worship and compassionate giving—especially annadāna—held as a high Purāṇic virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annadāna (gift of food) and related charitable acts, alongside ritual offerings (flowers, including precious-metal crafted ones).