Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

यो दद्यात्कांचनं मेरुं कृत्स्नां चैव वसुन्धराम् । योगेशं पूजयेद्यस्तु स तयोरधिकः स्मृतः

Transliteration

yo dadyātkāṃcanaṃ meruṃ kṛtsnāṃ caiva vasundharām | yogeśaṃ pūjayedyastu sa tayoradhikaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

ആരെങ്കിലും സ്വർണമയ മേരുവും സമസ്ത ഭൂമിയും ദാനം ചെയ്താലും, യോഗേശനെ പൂജിക്കുന്നവൻ ആ രണ്ടിനേക്കാളും ശ്രേഷ്ഠനെന്ന് സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: would give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• काञ्चनम्: golden
• काञ्चनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘मेरुम्’ विशेषण

• मेरुम्: Mount Meru
• मेरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्स्नाम्: entire
• कृत्स्नाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘वसुन्धराम्’ विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वसुन्धराम्: the earth
• वसुन्धराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुन्धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• योगेशम्: Yogeśa (Lord of Yoga)
• योगेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; योग + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पूजयेत्: would worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारणबोधक-अव्यय (particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तयोः: of those two (acts/persons)
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• अधिकः: superior
• अधिकः: Pratijna/Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative sense)

• स्मृतः: is said/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; भावे ‘is considered’

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting panels: on one side, a kingly donor offering a colossal golden Meru and the earth symbolically; on the other, a simple devotee worshipping Yogēśa—yet the divine scale tips toward the worshipper.

Characters & Entities

• Yogēśa/Yogēśvara
• Meru
• Dāna
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct worship of Īśvara, especially at a sacred kṣetra, is presented as superior to even unimaginable material charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, via the exaltation of Yogēśvara worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of Yogēśa is recommended; dāna is mentioned only for comparison of merit.