Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

दीपदाने घृतं श्रेष्ठं नैवेद्ये मोदकः परम् । एतैस्तुष्यति देवेशः सांनिध्यं चाधिगच्छति

Transliteration

dīpadāne ghṛtaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ naivedye modakaḥ param | etaistuṣyati deveśaḥ sāṃnidhyaṃ cādhigacchati

Translation

Pour l’offrande de la lampe, le ghee est le plus noble ; pour le naivedya (offrande de nourriture), le modaka est le suprême. Par ces dons, le Seigneur des dieux se réjouit et accorde au dévot le sānnidhya, sa présence proche et durable.

Word by Word

• दीपदाने: in the giving of a lamp
• दीपदाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—दीपस्य दानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठम्: best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—घृतम्

• नैवेद्ये: in food-offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मोदकः: modaka sweet
• मोदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—मोदकः (अर्थे ‘परमः’)

• एतैः: by these
• एतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तुष्यति: is pleased
• तुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवेशः: Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानाम् ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सांनिध्यम्: presence / proximity
• सांनिध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांनिध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• अधिगच्छति: attains
• अधिगच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Prabhāsa offers a bright ghee lamp before the Lord, with a plate of modakas as naivedya; the deity’s presence is felt as a radiant aura filling the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Lord of gods)
• dīpa-dāna
• ghṛta
• modaka
• sānnidhya
• Ravi (Sūrya) (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest fruit of ritual is nearness to the divine—sānnidhya—won through sincere offerings made with purity and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such offerings are said to quickly please the Deveśa and confer his presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer a ghee lamp (ghṛta-dīpa) and present modaka as naivedya to please the Deveśa and attain sānnidhya.