Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सहस्रगुणितं सम्यक्छ्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा । अन्यथा यस्तु चंद्रस्य प्रासादं प्रकरिष्यति

Transliteration

sahasraguṇitaṃ samyakchraddhāpūtena cetasā | anyathā yastu caṃdrasya prāsādaṃ prakariṣyati

Translation

Lorsqu’il est accompli comme il se doit, avec un esprit purifié par la foi, le mérite en devient mille fois plus grand. Mais si quelqu’un entreprend autrement la construction du palais-temple de Candra (la Lune), sans l’esprit et la règle requis…

Word by Word

• sahasra-guṇitam: multiplied a thousandfold
• sahasra-guṇitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √guṇ ‘multiply’/denom.)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘सहस्रेण गुणितम्’

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक (adverb)

• śraddhā-pūtena: with (a mind) purified by faith
• śraddhā-pūtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक) + pūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √pū ‘purify’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘श्रद्धया पूतः’

• cetasā: with the mind
• cetasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक (adverb: otherwise)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेष (particle: but/indeed)

• caṃdrasya: of the Moon (Candra)
• caṃdrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• prāsādam: palace/temple-building
• prāsādam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• prakariṣyati: will make/construct
• prakariṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Soma-prāsāda (Candra temple)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two patrons contrasted: one builds Soma’s prāsāda with reverent, purified mind and receives a thousandfold radiance; another builds carelessly, the aura dimming—an ethical-ritual caution tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Śraddhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā) and correctness of intention elevate merit; careless or improper religiosity is cautioned against.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Candra/Soma shrine context is continued; the verse focuses on the inner qualification (śraddhā) rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the Candra-prāsāda act ‘samyak’—properly and with śraddhā—otherwise adverse consequences follow (continued in the next verse).