Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

एताश्चतस्रस्तिथयो युगाद्या दत्तं हुतं चाक्षयमाशु विद्यात् । युगेयुगे वर्षशतेन दानं युगादिकाले दिवसेन तत्फलम्

Transliteration

etāścatasrastithayo yugādyā dattaṃ hutaṃ cākṣayamāśu vidyāt | yugeyuge varṣaśatena dānaṃ yugādikāle divasena tatphalam

Translation

Know swiftly that these four tithis are Yugādis: whatever is given in charity or offered in fire-sacrifice (huta) on them soon becomes inexhaustible. A gift made over a hundred years in each yuga yields the same fruit when done on a single day at Yugādi time.

Word by Word

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• catasraḥ: four
• catasraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• tithayaḥ: lunar days (tithis)
• tithayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• yugādyāḥ: (known as) yuga-beginnings
• yugādyāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuga + ādi (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘युगादि’ इति विशेषण (yuga-beginning)

• dattaṃ: a gift given (charity)
• dattaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dā (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; दानकर्म (gift given)

• hutaṃ: an oblation offered (homa)
• hutaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hu (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; होमकर्म (oblation offered)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• akṣayam: imperishable
• akṣayam: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• vidyāt: one should know/understand
• vidyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yuge: in (each) yuga
• yuge: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• yuge: in every yuga
• yuge: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (yuge yuge)

• varṣaśatena: by (the equivalent of) a hundred years
• varṣaśatena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa + śata (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषभावः (शतं वर्षाणाम्)

• dānaṃ: a donation
• dānaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yugādikāle: at the time of yuga-beginning
• yugādikāle: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga + ādi + kāla (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (युगादेः कालः)

• divasena: by (a single) day
• divasena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• tatphalam: that result (merit)
• tatphalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat + phala (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्य फलम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: four marked tithis appear as luminous gateways; a single day’s dāna and homa radiate outward, outweighing a long timeline of repeated gifts across centuries and yugas.

Characters & Entities

• Yugādi
• Dāna
• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time magnifies dharma: offerings made at Yugādi become inexhaustible and equal vast long-term giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No location is highlighted; the verse praises Yugādi-kāla as a supreme merit-bearing time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna (charity) and huta/homa (fire-offerings) on the four Yugādi tithis for akṣaya results.