Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

नमस्कारः स्तुतिः पूजा नामसंकीर्तनं तथा । संपर्कात्कौतुकाल्लोभान्न तस्य विफलं भवेत्

Transliteration

namaskāraḥ stutiḥ pūjā nāmasaṃkīrtanaṃ tathā | saṃparkātkautukāllobhānna tasya viphalaṃ bhavet

Translation

การนอบน้อมสักการะ การสรรเสริญ การบูชา และการสังคีรตนะแห่งพระนาม—สิ่งเหล่านี้ย่อมไม่เป็นหมันสำหรับผู้นั้น แม้ทำเพียงเพราะคบหา ความอยากรู้ หรือแม้ด้วยความโลภ

Word by Word

• नमस्कारः: salutation
• नमस्कारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (“नमसः कारः” = act of salutation)

• स्तुतिः: praise
• स्तुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नामसंकीर्तनम्: chanting of (His) name
• नामसंकीर्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + संकीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (“नाम्नः संकीर्तनम्” = chanting of the name)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Conjunction/adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (and likewise/also)

• संपर्कात्: from contact
• संपर्कात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-√पृच्/पर्क् (धातु) → संपर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from/through contact)

• कौतुकात्: from curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (out of curiosity)

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (out of greed)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• तस्य: of that (act/person)
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विफलम्: fruitless
• विफलम्: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual—Kaumārikākhaṇḍa dialogue; immediate speaker not marked in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-sannidhi (temple presence)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling temple courtyard: some devotees bow with devotion, some watch with curiosity, some offer with desire for gain—yet Śiva’s presence radiates equally, indicating unfailing fruit.

Characters & Entities

• namaskāra
• stuti
• pūjā
• nāma-saṃkīrtana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Any connection to devotion—salutation, praise, worship, or name-chanting—plants merit and is never wasted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse glorifies devotional acts themselves.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra, stuti, pūjā, and nāma-saṃkīrtana are recommended as efficacious devotional practices.