Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

अष्टादशापि चतुरस्ततोन्यूनं न कारयेत् । पयो दधि घृतं चैव क्षौद्रमिक्षुरसं तथा

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśāpi caturastatonyūnaṃ na kārayet | payo dadhi ghṛtaṃ caiva kṣaudramikṣurasaṃ tathā

Translation

ଅଠାର କିମ୍ବା ଚାରିଟି ମଧ୍ୟ କରିପାରେ; କିନ୍ତୁ ତାହାଠାରୁ କମ କରିବ ନାହିଁ। ଦୁଧ, ଦହି, ଘିଅ, ମଧୁ ଏବଂ ଆଖୁରସ ମଧ୍ୟ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ କରିବ।

Word by Word

• अष्टादश: eighteen
• अष्टादश: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: द्विगुसमास-सम्भवसंख्या; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनम्; here accusative as measure

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्; also/even

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; accusative plural (four)

• ततः: than that/from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रभवम् अव्ययम्; ablative adverb: from that/than that

• न्यूनम्: less (than that)
• न्यूनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative singular used predicatively: less

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्; negation

• कारयेत्: should not make/should not have done
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: णिजन्त-धातोः विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; should cause to be done/should make

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; here accusative as item

• दधि: curd/yogurt
• दधि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; here accusative as item

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; here accusative as item

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्; and

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम्; indeed/just

• क्षौद्रम्: honey
• क्षौद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; here accusative as item

• इक्षुरसम्: sugarcane juice
• इक्षुरसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु + रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (इक्षोः रसः); पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative singular

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्य/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्; likewise/also

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Offerings are assembled: bowls of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugarcane juice, placed in orderly fashion near the sanctum; the devotee counts vessels, ensuring the minimum is met.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pañcāmṛta (implied)
• Abhiṣeka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is structured by dharmic order—numbers, materials, and minimum standards—so worship is complete and reverent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred geography is stated; the focus is on ritual prescriptions for Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not prepare fewer than four vessels (alternatives include 18); prepare liquids such as milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugarcane juice for offering/abhiṣeka.