Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तिला विशेषफलदास्तिलाः शत्रुविनाशनाः । तिलाः सर्वेषु पुण्येषु प्रथमं समुदाहृताः

Transliteration

tilā viśeṣaphaladāstilāḥ śatruvināśanāḥ | tilāḥ sarveṣu puṇyeṣu prathamaṃ samudāhṛtāḥ

Translation

Le sésame confère des fruits d’exception et anéantit les ennemis. Parmi tous les actes méritoires, le sésame est déclaré le premier.

Word by Word

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विशेषफलदाः: givers of special fruits/results
• विशेषफलदाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विशेषस्य फलस्य दाः)

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शत्रुविनाशनाः: destroyers of enemies
• शत्रुविनाशनाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शत्रूणां विनाशनाः)

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पुण्येषु: meritorious acts
• पुण्येषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• प्रथमम्: first, foremost
• प्रथमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: ‘first/foremost’)

• समुदाहृताः: are declared/mentioned
• समुदाहृताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate participle/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + आ + √हृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘समुदाहृत’ = ‘well-declared/mentioned’

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective rite scene: sesame offered into a small homa fire; the devotee stands firm, while shadowy ‘enemies’ (outer foes or inner vices personified) dissolve in the background; the act is portrayed as foremost among merits.

Characters & Entities

• Tila (sesame)
• Puṇya
• Śatru (enemies/obstacles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma highlights certain offerings as exceptionally potent; sesame symbolizes concentrated merit and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site is specified; the verse functions as a general mahātmya of tila within a tīrtha-oriented chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prioritize sesame in meritorious rites—especially offerings and charitable acts—seeking both spiritual merit and removal of obstacles.