Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

यः शुचिश्च शिवं ध्यायन्प्रासादकूपकर्तरि । जलप्रतिग्रहाभावात्पिबतोऽस्य समं फलम्

Transliteration

yaḥ śuciśca śivaṃ dhyāyanprāsādakūpakartari | jalapratigrahābhāvātpibato'sya samaṃ phalam

Translation

Any person of pure mind who, meditating on Śiva, drinks the water from the well made by the builder of the temple and the well—since there is no ‘acceptance of a gift’ of water—gains merit equal to that builder.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्यायन्: meditating (on)
• ध्यायन्: Karta (Agent, concomitant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रासाद-कूप-कर्तरि: in/with regard to the builder of the palace-well
• प्रासाद-कूप-कर्तरि: Adhikarana (Location/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः (प्रासादस्य कूपस्य कर्तरि)

• जल-प्रतिग्रह-अभावात्: because of the absence of accepting water (as a gift)
• जल-प्रतिग्रह-अभावात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ

• पिबतः: of (him) drinking
• पिबतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Of the drinker)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्य: of him/this person
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Of him)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समम्: equal
• समम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (क्रियाविशेषण), समत्वे

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta/Karma (Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prāsāda-kūpa (temple well)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean pilgrim drinks from a temple well, hands cupped, eyes softened in Śiva-meditation; nearby stands a Śiva-prāsāda and the well’s builder/donor is symbolically present through a dedicatory plaque or offering.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the public through Śaiva works (temple and well) spreads merit widely; even beneficiaries gain spiritual fruit when aligned with Śiva-remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse praises Śaiva public works as a universal dharma within the Purāṇic framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-dhyāna (meditation on Śiva) while using a publicly dedicated well; emphasis on water being offered without transactional ‘gift-acceptance’.