Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

उपलेपनेन द्विगुणमर्चने तु चतुर्गुणम् । दीपप्रज्वलने पुण्यमष्टधा परिकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

upalepanena dviguṇamarcane tu caturguṇam | dīpaprajvalane puṇyamaṣṭadhā parikīrtitam

Translation

ഉപലേപനം ചെയ്താൽ പുണ്യം ഇരട്ടിയാകും, അർച്ചന ചെയ്താൽ നാലിരട്ടി; ദീപം തെളിയിച്ചാൽ പുണ്യം എട്ടിരട്ടിയെന്ന് പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്।

Word by Word

• उपलेपनेन: by smearing/plastering
• उपलेपनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + लेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental singular

• द्विगुणम्: twofold
• द्विगुणम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter singular; द्विगु-समासः (द्वौ गुणौ)

• अर्चने: in worship
• अर्चने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle

• चतुर्गुणम्: fourfold
• चतुर्गुणम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter singular; द्विगु-समासः (चत्वारः गुणाः)

• दीपप्रज्वलने: in the lighting of a lamp
• दीपप्रज्वलने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप + प्रज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दीपस्य प्रज्वलनम्)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative singular

• अष्टधा: eightfold
• अष्टधा: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अष्टधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (संख्यावाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb ‘eightfold’

• परिकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle: ‘is declared’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like depiction: devotees first plaster/clean the shrine, then perform arcana with flowers, then light rows of oil lamps; the sanctum glows progressively brighter, symbolizing eightfold merit.

Characters & Entities

• Upalepana
• Arcana
• Dīpa-prajvalana
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes accessible acts—service, worship, and lamp-lighting—as increasingly potent offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa temple-tīrtha setting where such services are performed for heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upalepana (plastering), arcana (worship), and dīpa-prajvalana (lamp-lighting) with stated multipliers of merit.