Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गुडसैंधवतैलादिमधुतिक्ततिलान्नदः । देवतायास्समुद्दिश्य तासां लोकं प्रयाति हि

Transliteration

guḍasaiṃdhavatailādimadhutiktatilānnadaḥ | devatāyāssamuddiśya tāsāṃ lokaṃ prayāti hi

Translation

जो गूळ, सेंधव मीठ, तेलादी, मधु, तिक्त औषधी द्रव्य, तीळ व अन्न यांचे दान करून ते एखाद्या देवतेच्या उद्देशाने अर्पण करतो, तो त्या देवतेच्या लोकास प्राप्त होतो।

Word by Word

• गुडसैन्धवतैलादिमधुतिक्ततिलान्नदः: one who gives food consisting of jaggery, rock-salt, oil etc., honey, bitter items, sesame
• गुडसैन्धवतैलादिमधुतिक्ततिलान्नदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्धव (प्रातिपदिक) + तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + तिक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-समासः (…अन्नं ददाति इति)

• देवतायाः: of the deity
• देवतायाः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• समुद्दिश्य: having dedicated/aimed (it) toward
• समुद्दिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• तासाम्: of those (deities)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• लोकम्: world, realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• प्रयाति: goes, attains
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed/for)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim charity scene: donors distributing jaggery lumps, rock-salt, oil pots, honey jars, sesame, and cooked food to pilgrims and priests; a small altar with the chosen deity’s symbol (liṅga/śālagrāma/śakti-yantra) indicating dedication; a celestial pathway hinting at devaloka.

Characters & Entities

• Devatā (chosen deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity empowered by devotional intention (saṃkalpa) aligns the giver with the deity’s realm and blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it emphasizes deity-dedicated dāna within the chapter’s māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate specific staples (jaggery, salt, oil, honey, bitter substances, sesame, food) with dedication to a chosen deity.