Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

यो ददाति प्रभक्त्या च शिवदीक्षान्विताय च । वस्त्रोपानहकौपीनं स यज्ञैः किं करिष्यति

Transliteration

yo dadāti prabhaktyā ca śivadīkṣānvitāya ca | vastropānahakaupīnaṃ sa yajñaiḥ kiṃ kariṣyati

Translation

Celui qui, avec une profonde dévotion, offre à un initié de Śiva des vêtements, des sandales et un pagne, quel besoin a-t-il encore d’acquérir du mérite par des sacrifices?

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• dadāti: gives
• dadāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• prabhaktyā: with great devotion
• prabhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śivadīkṣānvitāya: to one endowed with Śiva-initiation
• śivadīkṣānvitāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण—'anvita' = युक्त (endowed with)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vastra-upānah-kaupīnam: clothing, footwear, and loincloth (as a set)
• vastra-upānah-kaupīnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक) + upānah (प्रातिपदिक) + kaupīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yajñaiḥ: by sacrifices
• yajñaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• kariṣyati: will do
• kariṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator/teacher in the Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder devotee respectfully offers folded cloth, sandals, and a simple loincloth to a Śiva-initiated ascetic with rudrākṣa; a Śiva shrine stands nearby, indicating the gift as worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional charity (dāna) offered to a Śiva-initiated practitioner is exalted as a direct, high-yield dharmic act—comparable to, or surpassing, elaborate yajñas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse focuses on the merit of dāna in a tīrtha-centered narrative rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of essentials—clothes, footwear, and kaupīna—to a Śivadīkṣita is recommended as a powerful religious act.