Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

पंचायतनसंस्थेषु तथा देवेषु पंचसु । विहितं दीपदानं च चातुर्मास्ये महाफलम्

Transliteration

paṃcāyatanasaṃstheṣu tathā deveṣu paṃcasu | vihitaṃ dīpadānaṃ ca cāturmāsye mahāphalam

Translation

L’offrande de la lampe, accomplie selon le rite durant le Cāturmāsya, porte un grand fruit—qu’elle soit faite dans la disposition pañcāyatana ou aux cinq divinités.

Word by Word

• पञ्चायतनसंस्थेषु: in the pañcāyatana shrines
• पञ्चायतनसंस्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + आयतन + संस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (बहुपद) — ‘पञ्चायतनेषु संस्थाः’/‘पञ्चायतन-सम्बद्धेषु’ (in the five-shrine establishments)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunctive adverb) — ‘तथैव/एवम्’ (likewise)

• देवेषु: among the gods; in the deities
• देवेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• पञ्चसु: five
• पञ्चसु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (five)

• विहितम्: is prescribed
• विहितम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु) → विहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—‘विधाय कृतम्/स्थापितम्’ (prescribed/ordained)

• दीपदानम्: offering of a lamp
• दीपदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘दीपस्य दानम्’ (gift/offering of a lamp)

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

• चातुर्मास्ये: during Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (during the Cāturmāsya period)

• महाफलम्: great in fruit; highly rewarding
• महाफलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘महत् फलम्’ (great in result)

Speaker

Contextual: Brahmā (Brahmā–Nārada Saṃvāda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pañcāyatana altar with five sanctified icons; a devotee lights lamps before each deity during the rainy-season vow, the lamps forming a symmetrical sacred geometry.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāyatana
• Cāturmāsya
• Dīpa-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values inclusive, properly ordered worship; lamp-offering in the sacred season yields substantial merit across recognized deity-forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya setting, presenting pañcāyatana worship as a kṣetra-appropriate practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dīpa-dāna during Cāturmāsya in pañcāyatana shrines / to five deities.