Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । हरेर्दीपस्तु मद्दीपादधिकोऽयं प्रकुर्वतः । वैकुण्ठवास एव स्यान्ममैश्वर्यमवांछितम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | harerdīpastu maddīpādadhiko'yaṃ prakurvataḥ | vaikuṇṭhavāsa eva syānmamaiśvaryamavāṃchitam

Translation

బ్రహ్ముడు పలికెను—హరికి అర్పించిన దీపం నాకు అర్పించిన దీపం కంటే అధికమైనది. దీనిని ఆచరించువానికి వైకుంఠవాసం నిశ్చయం; నా ఐశ్వర్యమూ అతనికి అనవసరం అవుతుంది.

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg)

• hareḥ: of Hari
• hareḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• dīpaḥ: lamp
• dīpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• mat: my
• mat: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे समासाङ्गम्; ‘मद्’ (1st person pronoun stem) used in compound

• dīpāt: than (my) lamp
• dīpāt: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Ablative singular)

• adhikaḥ: greater/superior
• adhikaḥ: Karta-pravacaniya (Predicate/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular; predicate adjective of dīpaḥ)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular; demonstrative)

• prakurvataḥ: of the one who performs (it)
• prakurvataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive agent/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः (Present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्भवः (Genitive singular)

• vaikuṇṭhavāsaḥ: residence in Vaikuṇṭha
• vaikuṇṭhavāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaikuṇṭha-vāsa (प्रातिपदिक; वैकुण्ठ + वास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• syāt: would be/shall be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg)

• mama: for me/of me
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• aiśvaryam: lordship/prosperity
• aiśvaryam: Karta-pravacaniya (Predicate/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular; predicate/desired thing)

• avāñchitam: desired
• avāñchitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-√vāñch (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; aiśvaryam इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu-bhavana (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, seated on a lotus, speaks to Nārada about the superiority of offering a glowing lamp to Hari; a Viṣṇu shrine with a steady flame symbolizes Vaikuṇṭha’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Hari
• Vaikuṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion directed to Hari through dīpa-dāna is exalted as a direct cause for Vaikuṇṭha attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya framework of Nāgara Khaṇḍa, though it names Vaikuṇṭha as the spiritual destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer a lamp to Hari; the text elevates this act above offerings made to Brahmā.