Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

शंखघंटाप्रदानेन विद्वान्भवति शब्दवान् । विधाय रथयात्रां च चिरं शोकैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

śaṃkhaghaṃṭāpradānena vidvānbhavati śabdavān | vidhāya rathayātrāṃ ca ciraṃ śokaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

शंख व घंटा दान केल्याने मनुष्य विद्वान व प्रभावी वाणीचा होतो. तसेच रथयात्रा आयोजित केल्याने तो दीर्घकाळ शोकांपासून मुक्त होतो.

Word by Word

• śaṃkha-ghaṃṭā-pradānena: by the giving of conch and bell
• śaṃkha-ghaṃṭā-pradānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha (प्रातिपदिक) + ghaṃṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + pradāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंखघंटयोः प्रदानम्)

• vidvān: a learned man
• vidvān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• bhavati: becomes
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śabdavān: eloquent; possessing sound/voice
• śabdavān: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śabdavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vidvān इत्यस्य)

• vidhāya: having performed
• vidhāya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having performed/arranged’

• ratha-yātrām: a chariot-procession
• ratha-yātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रथस्य यात्रा)

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

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• śokaiḥ: from sorrows
• śokaiḥ: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/अपादान-हेतौ वा), बहुवचन

• pramucyate: is released
• pramucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is freed’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A devotee/interlocutor within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative frame (unspecified in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva temple courtyard at dawn: a devotee offers a shining conch and bronze bell to the priest; later, a grand ratha with a liṅga-shrine canopy rolls through the streets as devotees pull ropes, scattering flowers; the donor’s face shows relief from sorrow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting temple ritual and public devotion elevates one’s inner and outer life—learning, eloquence, and relief from grief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse praises general temple culture (bells, conch, processions).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śaṅkha-g haṇṭā dāna (donating conch and bell) and arranging a ratha-yātrā (chariot festival/procession).