Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

तस्याग्रे श्रद्धया युक्तो दीपं दयाद्यथायथा । तथातथा भवेद्दृष्टिस्तस्य नित्यं सुनिर्मलाम्

Transliteration

tasyāgre śraddhayā yukto dīpaṃ dayādyathāyathā | tathātathā bhaveddṛṣṭistasya nityaṃ sunirmalām

Translation

ଯେ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଯୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇ ତାଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ଦୀପ ଅର୍ପଣ କରେ, ସେହି ଅନୁପାତରେ ତାହାର ଦୃଷ୍ଟି ନିତ୍ୟ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ନିର୍ମଳ ଓ ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'of him/of that (deity)'

• agre: in front (of)
• agre: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; सप्तमी-अर्थे = in front/presence

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; 'with faith'

• yuktaḥ: endowed/engaged
• yuktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yuj (धातु) → yukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'endowed/engaged' (referring to worshipper)

• dīpam: lamp
• dīpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'lamp'

• dad-yathā-yathā: (he) gives, as/whenever
• dad-yathā-yathā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु) + yathā-yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: दद् (present stem) + (लोट्/विधिलिङ्-सम्भव) 3rd sg understood; here sandhi form 'दद्' before yathā; sense: 'as he gives'; यथायथा = correlative indeclinable 'as...as'

• tathā-tathā: accordingly
• tathā-tathā: Adhikarana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā-tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb) = accordingly/so and so

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'would become/should be'

• dṛṣṭiḥ: vision/sight
• dṛṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'sight/vision'

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'of him'

• nityam: always
• nityam: Adhikarana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (क्रियाविशेषण) = always

• su-nirmalām: very pure
• su-nirmalām: Karma (Result/फल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + nirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास; 'अत्यन्तं निर्मला' = very pure; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate adjective agreeing with 'dṛṣṭim' understood / or as accusative of result

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghuśreṣṭha/nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before Dāmodara’s image, offering a bright lamp repeatedly; the lamp’s glow reflects in the devotee’s eyes, which become progressively clearer; the sanctum is calm, filled with warm light.

Characters & Entities

• Dāmodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful lamp-offering purifies perception—outer sight and inner discernment—reflecting the devotee’s growing clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dāmodara-associated tīrtha/temple locale in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, where dīpa-dāna is praised as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna: offering a lamp before the deity with śraddhā, repeatedly/regularly.