Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

पौषे मासे तु यो दद्याद्घृताढ्यं दीपमुत्तमम् । विधिवच्छ्रद्धया विप्र शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम्

Transliteration

pauṣe māse tu yo dadyādghṛtāḍhyaṃ dīpamuttamam | vidhivacchraddhayā vipra śṛṇu tasyāpi yatphalam

Translation

പൗഷമാസത്തിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും നെയ്യാൽ സമൃദ്ധമായ ഉത്തമ ദീപം വിധിപൂർവ്വം ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ദാനം ചെയ്താൽ—ഹേ വിപ്രാ, അതിന്റെ ഫലവും കേൾക്കുക।

Word by Word

• पौषे: in Pauṣa
• पौषे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मासे: in the month
• मासे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• यः: who (ever)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of दद्याद्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• घृताढ्यम्: rich in ghee
• घृताढ्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत-आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; घृत + आढ्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दीपम्); समासः—तत्पुरुष (घृतेन आढ्यः)

• दीपम्: lamp
• दीपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent; best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दीपम्)

• विधिवत्: according to proper rite
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of that (act/person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/relative of फलम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शृणु—कर्म)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā Pauṣa-dīpa-dāna (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a bright ghee lamp on the Sarayū bank in Pauṣa; the flame reflects on water; priests guide the rite; the atmosphere is solemn and luminous against winter dusk.

Characters & Entities

• Pauṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful, rule-based offerings (especially light offerings) in sacred time yield great spiritual results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya’s Pauṣa-month observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna: offering a ghee-filled lamp during Pauṣa month, performed with śraddhā and proper procedure.