Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

या नारी कुरुते भक्त्या दीपदानं तदग्रतः । रक्ततंतुभिराज्येन श्रूयतां तस्य यत्फलम्

Transliteration

yā nārī kurute bhaktyā dīpadānaṃ tadagrataḥ | raktataṃtubhirājyena śrūyatāṃ tasya yatphalam

Translation

எந்த பெண் பக்தியுடன் அவளின் முன்னிலையில் சிவப்பு திரிகளும் நெய்யும் கொண்டு தீபதானம் செய்கிறாளோ, அதன் பலனை கேளுங்கள்।

Word by Word

• yā: she who
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• nārī: woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kurute: does/performs
• kurute: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental of manner)

• dīpadānam: offering of a lamp
• dīpadānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; दीपस्य दानम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• tad-agrataḥ: in front of it/there
• tad-agrataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad + agrataḥ (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in front of that)

• rakta-taṃtubhiḥ: with red wicks/threads
• rakta-taṃtubhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + taṃtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण; रक्ताः तन्तवः इति कर्मधारय, ततः तृतीया बहुवचन

• ājyena: with ghee
• ājyena: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• śrūyatām: let (it) be heard
• śrūyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be heard’

• tasya: of that (act/her)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• yat: which
• yat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• phalam: result
• phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman devotee offers a ghee lamp with distinctly red wicks before a Devī altar; the lamp’s flame reflects on metal vessels and flower garlands; attendants listen as the narrator announces the fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī (Devī)
• Dīpadāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple devotional acts like offering a lamp are elevated as powerful dharmic practices when performed with bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Devī’s presence at the Sāvitrī-sthāna in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Adhyāya 192, where offerings are made before her.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpadāna before the Devī—specifically a ghee lamp using red wicks/threads.