Shloka 3
भूमिदान-प्रसङ्गः । काश्यपी-पृथिवी तथा उतथ्य-वरुण-संवादः
Land-gift episode; Pṛthivī Kāśyapī; Utathya–Varuṇa dispute
इदं चाप्यपरं गुह्ं सरहस्यं निबोधत
Skanda uvāca: idaṃ cāpy aparaṃ guhyaṃ sa-rahasyaṃ nibodhata. Pūrṇamāsyāṃ tithau candrodaya-samaye tāmra-bhājane madhu-miśritaṃ pākaṃ gṛhītvā yaś candrāya baliṃ nivedayati, tasya yo nitya-dharma-phala-prāptiḥ, tat śraddhayā śṛṇuta. Tasya dattaṃ taṃ baliṃ sādhya-rudrāditya-viśvedevāśvinīkumāra-marudgaṇā vasavaś ca gṛhṇanti; tena ca candramāḥ samudraś ca vardhate. Evaṃ mayā rahasya-sahitaḥ sukhadāyakaḥ dharmo varṇitaḥ.
Skanda bersabda: “Ketahuilah pula ajaran lain ini—rahasia, beserta makna batinnya. Pada hari purnama, saat bulan terbit, bila seseorang membawa hidangan manis yang dicampur madu dalam bejana tembaga dan mempersembahkannya sebagai bali kepada Sang Bulan, maka—dengarkan dengan iman—ia memperoleh buah dharma yang tetap dan berkesinambungan. Persembahan itu diterima oleh para Sādhya, Rudra, Āditya, Viśvedewa, pasangan Aśvin, rombongan Marut, dan para Vasu; dan karenanya Bulan serta samudra dikatakan bertambah. Demikian telah kuuraikan dharma yang membahagiakan, beserta rahasianya.”
स्कन्द उवाच
Educational Q&A
Skanda teaches an esoteric dharma: a full-moon, moonrise offering to Chandra—made with a honey-sweet preparation in a copper vessel—yields enduring religious merit, emphasizing śraddhā (faith) and the idea that properly directed ritual supports cosmic harmony.
Skanda describes a specific rite and its results: multiple divine classes are said to accept the offering, and the act symbolically ‘increases’ the Moon and the ocean, concluding with Skanda’s claim that he has revealed a happiness-giving dharma along with its hidden rationale.