Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 191

Devanagari script

घृतेन दीपको यस्य तिलतैले न वा पुनः । ज्वलते मुनिशार्दूल हयमेधेन तस्य किम्

Transliteration

ghṛtena dīpako yasya tilataile na vā punaḥ | jvalate muniśārdūla hayamedhena tasya kim

Translation

ହେ ମୁନିଶାର୍ଦ୍ଦୂଲ! ଯାହାର ଦୀପ ଘୃତରେ କିମ୍ବା ପୁନଃ ତିଳତେଲରେ ଜ୍ୱଳେ, ତାହାକୁ ଅଶ୍ୱମେଧ ଯଜ୍ଞର କି ଆବଶ୍ୟକତା?

Word by Word

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दीपकः: a lamp
• दीपकः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• तिलतैले: with sesame oil
• तिलतैले: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल-तैल (प्रातिपदिक; तिल + तैल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘तिलानां तैलम्’

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-पार्टिकल (negation)

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• पुनः: again/indeed
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक (adverb: again/indeed)

• ज्वलते: burns/shines
• ज्वलते: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुनिशार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• मुनिशार्दूल: सम्बोधन (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक; मुनि + शार्दूल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ — ‘मुनिषु शार्दूलः’ (tiger among sages)

• हयमेधेन: by the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• हयमेधेन: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय-मेध (प्रातिपदिक; हय + मेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘हयानां मेधः’ (horse-sacrifice)

• तस्य: for him/of that person
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• किम्: what (use/need)?
• किम्: प्रश्न/प्रयोजन (Interrogative complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style—Brahmā to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni-śārdūla (addressed sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on a single lamp flame in a brass dīpa; ghee or sesame oil glistens; a sage listens as the teaching is proclaimed; behind them, the temple doorway glows, suggesting that one light outweighs imperial sacrifices.

Characters & Entities

• Ghṛta (ghee)
• Tila-taila (sesame oil)
• Dīpa (lamp)
• Aśvamedha (horse sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional lamp-offering can surpass or render unnecessary even the most grand and expensive Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to Ayodhyāmāhātmya’s sacred framework, where dīpadāna is praised as exceptionally fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Lighting/offering a lamp using ghee or sesame oil as a meritorious act.