Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तपो दानं जपश्चात्र कूपे भवति चाक्षयम्

Transliteration

tapo dānaṃ japaścātra kūpe bhavati cākṣayam

Translation

L’austérité, le don et la récitation des mantras accomplis ici, en ce puits, deviennent impérissables quant à leurs fruits.

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• दानम्: charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• जपः: recitation
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कूपे: in the well
• कूपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Karta-pravacaniya/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘तपः/दानम्/जपः’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Bābhravya (mahātmya assertion)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-kūpa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three vignettes around the well: an ascetic in tapas (fasting posture), a householder offering dāna to a brāhmaṇa, and a devotee counting japa beads—each framed by the same sacred kūpa, suggesting ‘akṣaya’ radiance emanating from it.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada-kūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When performed at a sanctified tīrtha, core dharmic acts yield enduring, inexhaustible merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nārada-kūpa (the sacred well).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To undertake tapas, give dāna, and perform japa at the well for akṣaya-phala (imperishable results).