Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

कामनां यां समुद्दिश्य दीपं कारयते हरौ । सासा सिद्ध्यति निर्विघ्ना सुप्तेऽनंते गुणोत्तरम्

Transliteration

kāmanāṃ yāṃ samuddiśya dīpaṃ kārayate harau | sāsā siddhyati nirvighnā supte'naṃte guṇottaram

Translation

ഏതു ആഗ്രഹം ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച് ഹരിക്കായി ദീപം ഒരുക്കി അർപ്പിക്കുന്നുവോ, ആ ആഗ്രഹം വിഘ്നമില്ലാതെ സിദ്ധിക്കുന്നു—വിശേഷിച്ച് ശേഷശായിയായ അനന്തൻ (വിഷ്ണു) യോഗനിദ്രയിൽ പരമഗുണസമ്പന്നനായി ഇരിക്കുമ്പോൾ।

Word by Word

• कामनाम्: a desire; wish
• कामनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• याम्: which
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• समुद्दिश्य: having intended; aiming at
• समुद्दिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + दिश् (धातु) → समुद्दिश्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), अर्थे—‘उद्दिश्य/लक्ष्यीकृत्य’ (having intended/aimed at)

• दीपम्: a lamp
• दीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कारयते: causes to be made; arranges
• कारयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच्-प्रयोजक)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) — ‘करोति’ → ‘कारयति/कारयते’ (causes to be made/has made)

• हरौ: in (the presence of) Hari; for Hari
• हरौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विषये/अधिकरणे (in/for Hari)

• सा: that (desire)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संकेतः—कामना (that desire)

• सा: that indeed
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः (emphatic repetition)

• सिद्ध्यति: is fulfilled; succeeds
• सिद्ध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• निर्विघ्ना: without obstacles
• निर्विघ्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (free from obstacles)

• सुप्ते: when (he) is asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Temporal/Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्वप्’ धातोः; पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेष्यः—अनन्तः (when Ananta is asleep)

• अनन्ते: in Ananta (Vishnu)
• अनन्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम (in Ananta)

• गुणोत्तरम्: excellent in qualities; most virtuous
• गुणोत्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘गुणैः उत्तरम्/गुणेषु उत्तमम्’ (superior in qualities)

Speaker

Contextual: Brahmā (Brahmā–Nārada Saṃvāda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a steady lamp before Hari reclining on Ananta-Śeṣa; the sanctum glows while the devotee silently forms a saṅkalpa for a wish to be fulfilled without obstacles.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Ananta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desires are best pursued through dharmic devotion; dīpa-dāna to Hari is taught as a means for unobstructed fulfilment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative frame, though the promise is stated in broadly applicable temple terms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dedicate a lamp-offering to Hari with a specific intention (saṅkalpa) during the Ananta-śayana/Cāturmāsya period.