Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 142

Devanagari script

करकं वारिसम्पूर्णं सौभाग्येन तु संयुतम् । दत्तं तु ललिते तुभ्यं सौभाग्यादिविवर्धनम् । इति करकदानमन्त्रः

Transliteration

karakaṃ vārisampūrṇaṃ saubhāgyena tu saṃyutam | dattaṃ tu lalite tubhyaṃ saubhāgyādivivardhanam | iti karakadānamantraḥ

Translation

ജലത്തോടെ പരിപൂർണ്ണവും സൗഭാഗ്യത്തോടെ സംയുക്തവുമായ ഈ കരകം, ഹേ ലലിതേ, നിനക്കു സൗഭാഗ്യാദികളുടെ വർധനയ്ക്കായി സമർപ്പിക്കുന്നു—ഇതാകുന്നു കരക-ദാന മന്ത്രം.

Word by Word

• करकम्: a water-pot; pitcher
• करकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• वारि-सम्पूर्णम्: filled with water
• वारि-सम्पूर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करकम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सौभाग्येन: with good fortune; auspiciousness
• सौभाग्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• संयुतम्: joined; endowed (with)
• संयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) → संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करकम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दत्तम्: given; offered
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; अत्र करकम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (given)

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

• ललिते: O Lalitā (goddess)
• ललिते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (आह्वान), एकवचन

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीयपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• सौभाग्य-आदि-विवर्धनम्: increasing good fortune and the like
• सौभाग्य-आदि-विवर्धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करकदानस्य फलवाचक-विशेषणम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative/marker)

• करक-दान-मन्त्रः: the mantra for donating a water-pot
• करक-दान-मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करक (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन; नामनिर्देशः

Speaker

Skanda (introducing a liturgical mantra; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-context (Revākhaṇḍa frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a shining water-filled karaka before Devī Lalitā; attendants hold flowers and lamps; the setting hints at a riverine tirtha with steps and flowing water.

Characters & Entities

• Lalitā
• karaka
• saubhāgya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity offered with mantra and devotional intent is held to multiply auspiciousness and wellbeing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred Narmadā milieu is implicit; this verse is primarily a donation-mantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the karaka-dāna mantra while offering a water-filled vessel to the goddess (addressed as Lalitā) for saubhāgya.