Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

त्रिःसप्तकृत्वो धरणीं त्रिगुणीकृत्य षण्मुख । दत्त्वा यत्फलमाप्नोति तत्फलं प्राप्नुयान्नरः

Transliteration

triḥsaptakṛtvo dharaṇīṃ triguṇīkṛtya ṣaṇmukha | dattvā yatphalamāpnoti tatphalaṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ

Translation

ஓ ஷண்முகா! பூமியையே மூன்றுமடங்காக்கி இருபத்தொன்று முறை தானம் செய்தால் மனிதன் பெறும் பலன், அதே பலன் இந்த விரதத்தாலும் கிடைக்கும்.

Word by Word

• triḥ: three times
• triḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: triḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable) संख्या-अव्यय (numeral adverb): ‘thrice’

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective), समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• kṛtvaḥ: times (in counting)
• kṛtvaḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtvas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable) ‘times’ अर्थे (multiplicative)

• dharaṇīm: the earth
• dharaṇīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• triguṇīkṛtya: having made threefold
• triguṇīkṛtya: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tri + guṇa + kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘triguṇī-kṛ’ (to make threefold)

• ṣaṇmukha: O Six-faced one (Kārttikeya)
• ṣaṇmukha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative form), एकवचन (Singular); ‘षड्मुखः’ = ‘six-faced one’ (address)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• yat: whatever, which
• yat: Viśeṣya (Correlative base/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); ‘phalam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• prāpnuyāt: should attain
• prāpnuyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from immediate context of Brahmā as cited teacher)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda addressed explicitly as ‘Ṣaṇmukha’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha) is addressed as the teaching culminates: a cosmic scale shows the observance’s merit balancing against the earth itself offered repeatedly; Padmanābha presides as the grantor of fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single concentrated devotional observance can equal vast acts of charity when performed with proper faith and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where the described worship and vigil are said to yield immense results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A phala-comparison to mahādāna (land-gift), used to extol the merit of the Dvādaśī night-vigil and praise.