Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

पौषे मासे तु यो दद्याद्घृताढ्यं दीपमुत्तमम् । विधिवच्छ्रद्धया विप्र शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम्

Transliteration

pauṣe māse tu yo dadyādghṛtāḍhyaṃ dīpamuttamam | vidhivacchraddhayā vipra śṛṇu tasyāpi yatphalam

Translation

But in the month of Pauṣa, whoever offers an excellent lamp rich with ghee—according to rule and with faith—O brāhmaṇa, hear also the fruit that comes from that.

Word by Word

• पौषे: in Pauṣa
• पौषे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मासे: in the month
• मासे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

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

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• घृताढ्यम्: rich in ghee
• घृताढ्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत-आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; घृत + आढ्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दीपम्); समासः—तत्पुरुष (घृतेन आढ्यः)

• दीपम्: lamp
• दीपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent; best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दीपम्)

• विधिवत्: according to proper rite
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of that (act/person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/relative of फलम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शृणु—कर्म)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā Pauṣa-dīpa-dāna (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a bright ghee lamp on the Sarayū bank in Pauṣa; the flame reflects on water; priests guide the rite; the atmosphere is solemn and luminous against winter dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Pauṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful, rule-based offerings (especially light offerings) in sacred time yield great spiritual results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya’s Pauṣa-month observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna: offering a ghee-filled lamp during Pauṣa month, performed with śraddhā and proper procedure.