Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कौसुंभतैलसंयुक्ता दीपा दत्ताः शिवालये । दातारस्तेऽपि कैलासे मोदन्ते शिवसंनिधौ

Transliteration

kausuṃbhatailasaṃyuktā dīpā dattāḥ śivālaye | dātāraste'pi kailāse modante śivasaṃnidhau

Translation

Les lampes offertes dans un temple de Śiva, remplies d’huile de carthame—ces donateurs aussi se réjouissent sur Kailāsa, en la présence même de Śiva.

Word by Word

• kausuṃbha-taila-saṃyuktāḥ: combined with safflower oil
• kausuṃbha-taila-saṃyuktāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kausuṃbha (प्रातिपदिक) + taila (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (√yuj धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (कौसुंभतैलेन संयुक्ताः = joined/filled with safflower oil)

• dīpāḥ: lamps
• dīpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• dattāḥ: given
• dattāḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया-विशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: datta (दा धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त—'given/offered'

• śiva-ālaye: in Śiva's temple
• śiva-ālaye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य आलयः)

• dātāraḥ: donors
• dātāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (दा धातु, तृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तृ-प्रत्ययान्त—'givers/donors'

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: 'also/even')

• kailāse: in Kailāsa
• kailāse: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• modante: rejoice
• modante: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mud (मुद् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• śiva-saṃnidhau: in Śiva's presence
• śiva-saṃnidhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य संनिधिः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-ālaya (Kedāra context)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Śiva temple, devotees pour safflower oil into lamps and place them before the liṅga; in a visionary overlay, Kailāsa appears with Śiva and Pārvatī, donors approaching joyfully.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivālaya
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a simple offering like an oil lamp in a Śiva temple is exalted and leads to closeness with Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting is a Śivālaya (Śiva temple) within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s holy geography; the fruit is described as reaching Kailāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer lamps using kusumbha (safflower) oil in a Śiva temple.