Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

विप्राय स्वर्णदानं तु रुद्रलोके नयेन्नरम् । सरस्वतीशिवक्षेत्रे गंगा च गंगकूपके

Transliteration

viprāya svarṇadānaṃ tu rudraloke nayennaram | sarasvatīśivakṣetre gaṃgā ca gaṃgakūpake

Translation

വിപ്രന് സ്വർണ്ണദാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ രുദ്രലോകത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു—സരസ്വതി–ശിവക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ഇത് നിശ്ചയം; അതുപോലെ ഗംഗാകൂപകത്തിലും ഗംഗയുടെ സാന്നിധ്യം നിലനിൽക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• viprāya: to a brāhmaṇa
• viprāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• svarṇa-dānam: the gift of gold
• svarṇa-dānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (svarṇasya dānam)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• rudra-loke: in Rudra’s world
• rudra-loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (rudrasya lokaḥ)

• nayet: leads/should lead
• nayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-सदृश प्रयोगः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘नयेत्’ = ‘would lead/should lead’

• naram: a man
• naram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• sarasvatī-śiva-kṣetre: in the Sarasvatī-Śiva sacred region
• sarasvatī-śiva-kṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (sarasvatyāḥ śivasya ca kṣetram)

• gaṃgā: Gaṅgā
• gaṃgā: Karta (Subject/implicit/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• gaṃgakūpake: at Gaṅgakūpaka
• gaṃgakūpake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक) + kūpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Bhūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī–Śiva-kṣetra (with Gaṅgākūpaka)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within a Śaiva sacred precinct, a donor offers gold to a brāhmaṇa before a subtle Śiva emblem; a luminous pathway rises toward a Rudraloka-like celestial realm; the sacred well signifies Gaṅgā’s localized presence.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Svarṇa-dāna
• Rudraloka
• Sarasvatī–Śiva-kṣetra
• Gaṅgā
• Gaṅgākūpaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna given with reverence—especially to a brāhmaṇa—is linked to Śaiva spiritual attainment, and tīrthas are mapped as living sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgākūpaka within the Sarasvatī–Śiva-kṣetra is highlighted, presenting Gaṅgā’s sanctity as present there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svarṇa-dāna (donation of gold) to a vipra, promising Rudraloka as fruit.