Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

विष्णुर्दीपेन संतुष्टो यथा भवति पुत्रक । तथा यज्ञसहस्रैश्च वरं नैव प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

viṣṇurdīpena saṃtuṣṭo yathā bhavati putraka | tathā yajñasahasraiśca varaṃ naiva prayacchati

Translation

அன்புக் குழந்தையே, தீபார்ப்பணத்தால் விஷ்ணு எவ்வளவு மகிழ்கிறாரோ, அவ்வளவு ஆயிரம் யாகங்களாலும் அவர் இவ்வளவு எளிதில் வரம் அளிப்பதில்லை.

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दीपेन: by/with a lamp (offering)
• दीपेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• संतुष्टः: satisfied
• संतुष्टः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+√तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (satisfied)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative/relative adverb: 'as')

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पुत्रक: O dear child
• पुत्रक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूप/तुल्यवाचक-अव्ययम् (correlative adverb: 'so/likewise')

• यज्ञसहस्रैः: by thousands of sacrifices
• यज्ञसहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञानां सहस्रैः = by thousands of sacrifices)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• प्रयच्छति: gives/bestows
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+√यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu-dīpa-dāna (rite-centered)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā affectionately addresses Nārada as ‘child,’ pointing to a single bright lamp before Viṣṇu; in the background, grand sacrificial altars fade, showing that the lamp’s devotion surpasses ritual grandeur.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere, accessible devotion can outweigh grand ritualism; God’s grace is drawn by bhakti expressed through simple offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Viṣṇu temple context is implied, but this verse focuses on the comparative merit of dīpadāna versus yajña rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dīpadāna (offering a lamp) to please Viṣṇu; it is praised as exceptionally effective compared to large-scale sacrifices.