Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तदक्षयफलं सर्वं ब्रह्मणो वचनं यथा । इष्ट्वात्र यज्ञमेकं तु कोटियज्ञफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

tadakṣayaphalaṃ sarvaṃ brahmaṇo vacanaṃ yathā | iṣṭvātra yajñamekaṃ tu koṭiyajñaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

ആ മുഴുവൻ ഫലവും അക്ഷയം—ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ വാക്കുപോലെ അച്യുതം. ഇവിടെ ഒരു യജ്ഞം ചെയ്താലും കോടിയജ്ഞഫലം ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश

• अक्षयफलम्: imperishable fruit
• अक्षयफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय-फल (प्रातिपदिक; अक्षय + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समस्तवाचक

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• वचनम्: statement/word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• इष्ट्वा: having sacrificed
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इष्‍ट्वा (कृदन्त; √यज्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); √यज् (to sacrifice)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• यज्ञम्: a sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक अव्यय

• कोटियज्ञफलम्: the fruit of a crore of sacrifices
• कोटियज्ञफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि-यज्ञ-फल (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + यज्ञ + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compact yajña-śālā near Koṭitīrtha: a single fire altar blazing, priests chanting; above, a subtle Brahmā figure or symbolic ‘Brahmā’s word’ as a radiant script/voice indicating certainty and akṣaya fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Koṭitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography magnifies dharmic acts: a single rite done at a powerful tīrtha can yield vast, enduring merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha, praised as a place where ritual merit becomes multiplied and imperishable.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing a yajña (sacrifice) at this site—even one—is said to equal the fruit of countless yajñas.