Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

अहो ईश्वरपूजाया माहात्म्यं विस्मयावहम् । पत्रमात्रेण संतुष्टो यो ददाति निजं पदम्

Transliteration

aho īśvarapūjāyā māhātmyaṃ vismayāvaham | patramātreṇa saṃtuṣṭo yo dadāti nijaṃ padam

Translation

โอ้! มหิมาแห่งการบูชาองค์อีศวรช่างน่าอัศจรรย์ยิ่งนัก; เพียงใบไม้ใบเดียวก็ทรงพอพระทัย และประทานพระสถานอันสูงสุดของพระองค์เอง.

Word by Word

• अहो: ah!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-निपात (interjection of wonder)

• ईश्वरपूजायाः: of Lord-worship
• ईश्वरपूजायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the worship of the Lord)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विस्मयावहम्: wonder-causing
• विस्मयावहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय + आवह (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (माहात्म्यस्य)

• पत्रमात्रेण: by just a leaf
• पत्रमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (by merely a leaf)

• संतुष्टः: satisfied
• संतुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• निजम्: his own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पदम्)

• पदम्: state/abode (position)
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (devotional exclamation within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up devotional moment: a single bilva leaf placed on the liṅga; a radiant aura expands, suggesting Śiva’s immediate satisfaction and bestowal of 'nijaṃ padam'.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva responds to devotion rather than extravagance; even the simplest offering, made with bhakti, can lead to the highest goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse, though the surrounding chapter context includes Gokarṇa and Śiva observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering a leaf (patra)—classically understood as bilva to Śiva—is upheld as a potent act of pūjā when done with devotion.