Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तेषां दुःखसहस्राणि यास्यंति विलयं ध्रुवम् । दीपदानं कृतं येन चातु र्मास्ये शिवाग्रतः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ duḥkhasahasrāṇi yāsyaṃti vilayaṃ dhruvam | dīpadānaṃ kṛtaṃ yena cātu rmāsye śivāgrataḥ

Translation

Pour eux, des milliers de peines se résorbent à coup sûr : pour celui qui accomplit l’offrande de lampes (dīpa-dāna) devant Śiva durant le Cāturmāsya.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दुःखसहस्राणि: thousands of sorrows
• दुःखसहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दुःखानां सहस्राणि = thousands of sorrows)

• यास्यन्ति: will go/attain
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• विलयम्: dissolution, destruction
• विलयम्: Gati-karma (Goal/गत्यर्थक-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (indeclinable usage: certainly)

• दीपदानम्: offering of a lamp
• दीपदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दीपस्य दानम्)

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle: 'done')

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (by whom)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शिवाग्रतः: in front of Śiva
• शिवाग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शिव + अग्रतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय (adverb of place)

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakantaka (Narmadā-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in the rainy-season months offers rows of glowing lamps before a Śiva-liṅga; the atmosphere is moist with monsoon clouds, with Narmadā’s presence implied; sorrow dissolves as darkness recedes.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Cāturmāsya
• Dīpadāna (lamp offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering light to Śiva symbolizes inner illumination; such devotion is said to dissolve accumulated suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Nārmadeya/Amarakantaka Śaiva tīrtha setting where Śiva-liṅga worship is extolled, especially in Cāturmāsya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpadāna (lamp offering) before Śiva during Cāturmāsya.