Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दर्शनात्पूजनाच्चापि किं फलं जायते नृणाम् । अदत्त्वा स्वशरीरं वा पूजया केवलं वद

Transliteration

darśanātpūjanāccāpi kiṃ phalaṃ jāyate nṛṇām | adattvā svaśarīraṃ vā pūjayā kevalaṃ vada

Translation

Quel fruit obtiennent les hommes du simple darśana (vision sacrée) et aussi de l’adoration? Et si l’on n’offre pas son propre corps (symboliquement en dāna), dis-nous ce que l’on acquiert par le seul culte.

Word by Word

• दर्शनात्: from seeing/by seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• पूजनात्: from worship/by worship
• पूजनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/सम्भावना-बोधक अव्यय (also/even)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• फलम्: result/fruit
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action circumstance/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) → अ- + दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), नकारार्थक उपसर्ग ‘अ-’; ‘without giving’

• स्वशरीरम्: one's own body
• स्वशरीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य शरीरम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• पूजया: by worship
• पूजया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• केवलम्: only/merely
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative) एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोग (adverbially: ‘only’)

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāpāleśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims line up for darśana of a liṅga; some offer simple flowers and lamps, while sages discuss the fruits of worship even without grand donations.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice has gradations—darśana, pūjā, and dāna—and Purāṇic teaching clarifies their respective fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the inquiry into the fruits connected to Kāpāleśvara and the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It contrasts worship alone with worship plus a ‘body-gift’ (symbolic dāna), requesting the promised results for each.