Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

दानं तपो रुद्रजापः सर्वमक्षयमेव च । त्वं च नन्दी द्वितीयो मे प्रतीहारो भविष्यसि

Transliteration

dānaṃ tapo rudrajāpaḥ sarvamakṣayameva ca | tvaṃ ca nandī dvitīyo me pratīhāro bhaviṣyasi

Translation

ದಾನ, ತಪಸ್ಸು, ರುದ್ರನಾಮಜಪ—ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ಅಕ್ಷಯಫಲವಾಗುತ್ತವೆ। ಮತ್ತು ನಂದೀ, ನೀನು ನನ್ನ ಎರಡನೇ ದ್ವಾರಪಾಲನಾಗುವೆ।

Word by Word

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicative item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicative item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• रुद्रजापः: Rudra-mantra recitation
• रुद्रजापः: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicative item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + जाप (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Rudra-japa = japa of Rudra)

• सर्वम्: all (of this)
• सर्वम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अक्षयम्: imperishable / inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: विधेयविशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Predicate adjective agreeing with सर्वम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: सम्बोधन/अपादान (Apposition to त्वम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular (proper name)

• द्वितीयः: second
• द्वितीयः: विधेयविशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Predicate adjective

• मे: of me / my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• प्रतीहारः: doorkeeper/attendant
• प्रतीहारः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन — you will be

Speaker

Śiva (direct address to Nandī and first-person “me”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandī (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra grants a boon: the air glows with mantra-syllables; devotees give alms and perform japa; Nandī stands vigilant at the threshold, receiving the designation of ‘second gatekeeper’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Rudra
• Nandī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva practice unites inner discipline (tapas), generosity (dāna), and mantra (Rudra-japa), producing imperishable spiritual capital.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily theological (Śiva–Nandī) rather than geographic; it supports the māhātmya of the ongoing liṅga-kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in dāna, tapas, and Rudra-japa as core Śaiva observances yielding akṣaya merit.