Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3
Devanagari script
भक्त्या निवेदितं शंभोः पत्रं पुष्पं फलं जलम् । अल्पादल्पतरं वापि तदानंत्याय कल्पते
Transliteration
bhaktyā niveditaṃ śaṃbhoḥ patraṃ puṣpaṃ phalaṃ jalam | alpādalpataraṃ vāpi tadānaṃtyāya kalpate
Translation
ഭക്തിയോടെ ശംഭുവിന് സമർപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഇല, പുഷ്പം, ഫലം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ജലം—അത്യല്പത്തിലും അല്പമായാലും—അനന്ത പുണ്യഫലത്തിന് കാരണമാകുന്നു।
Word by Word
भक्त्याby devotion
भक्त्या:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; instrumental/means: 'with/through devotion'
निवेदितम्offered
निवेदितम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootनि√विद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; past passive participle: 'offered/presented'
शंभोःof Śambhu (Śiva)
शंभोः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootशंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; genitive: 'of Śambhu (Śiva)'
पत्रम्leaf
पत्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'leaf' (as offering)
पुष्पम्flower
पुष्पम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'flower'
फलम्fruit
फलम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootफल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'fruit'
जलम्water
जलम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootजल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'water'
अल्पात्from a small (thing)
अल्पात्:
Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ablative: 'from (something) small'
अल्पतरम्even smaller
अल्पतरम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तद्धित/तुलनात्मक)
Formतुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'smaller/still less'
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle): 'or'
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle): 'even/also'
तत्that (offering)
तत्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative: 'that' (i.e., such offering)
आनन्त्यायfor infinite (merit)
आनन्त्याय:
Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootआनन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; dative/purpose: 'for infinity/endlessness (i.e., infinite merit)'
कल्पतेbecomes/serves (as)
कल्पते:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√कॢप् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; 'is fit/amounts to/serves as'
Speaker
Sūta
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A devotee offers a single bilva leaf and a small vessel of water to a radiant Śiva-liṅga; the offering appears tiny, yet a vast aura of light expands outward, signifying infinite fruit.
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śambhu (Śiva)S
SūtaFAQs
Devotion, not material magnitude, is the measure of an offering’s spiritual power.
No tīrtha is specified; the verse teaches a general principle of Śiva-pūjā.
Offering patra, puṣpa, phala, and jala to Śiva with bhakti.