Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

कृतमायतनं दद्यात्क्रमाद्दशगुणं फलम् । भस्मशायी त्रिषवणो भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः

Transliteration

kṛtamāyatanaṃ dadyātkramāddaśaguṇaṃ phalam | bhasmaśāyī triṣavaṇo bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ

Translation

कृतमायतनं यो दद्यात्, तस्य फलम् अनुक्रमेण दशगुणं वर्धते। स भस्मशायी त्रिषवणपूजापरः, भिक्षान्नमेव भुञ्जानो भिक्षावृत्त्या जीवति।

Word by Word

• kṛta: made, constructed
• kṛta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त/कृत-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; used adjectivally with āyatanaṃ

• āyatanaṃ: a shrine/abode (sanctuary)
• āyatanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kramāt: gradually, in sequence
• kramāt: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त/ablatival adverb): ‘in order/gradually’

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśan (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण; (समासपूर्वपद)

• guṇaṃ: fold, multiple
• guṇaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (समासोत्तरपद)

• daśaguṇaṃ: tenfold
• daśaguṇaṃ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa + guṇa (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वक-निर्धारण), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifying phalam

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma/Phala (Result-object/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचन (or प्रथमा as predicate; here object/result)

• bhasmaśāyī: one who lies on ashes
• bhasmaśāyī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक) + śāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भस्मनि शायी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• triṣavaṇaḥ: (observing) three daily rites
• triṣavaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या) + savana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि सवनानि यस्य/त्रिषवणः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• bhikṣā: alms
• bhikṣā: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• anna: food
• anna: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासमध्यपद)

• kṛta: prepared, made
• kṛta: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; (समासमध्यपद)

• bhojanaḥ: eating/meal (as practice)
• bhojanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (समासोत्तरपद)

• bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ: one whose meal is prepared from alms-food
• bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhikṣā + anna + kṛta + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भिक्षान्नेन कृतं भोजनं यस्य/भिक्षान्नकृतभोजनः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa/bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic donor stands before a newly completed Śiva-āyatana, offering it with water and flowers; nearby, he sits on a bed of sacred ash, performing triṣavana worship, receiving a small bowl of alms-food.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great merit arises from both generous endowment (donating a shrine) and disciplined Shaiva living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse praises the act of āyatana-dāna and ascetic Shaiva conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a completed shrine; practice triṣavaṇa observance, live austerely (bhasmaśāyī), and subsist on alms-food.