Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

प्रदीपानां सहस्रेण दीपनीयः सदाशिवः । तथा दीपशतेनापि द्वात्रिंशद्दीपमालया

Transliteration

pradīpānāṃ sahasreṇa dīpanīyaḥ sadāśivaḥ | tathā dīpaśatenāpi dvātriṃśaddīpamālayā

Translation

พึงบูชาสทาศิวะให้สว่างไสวด้วยประทีปหนึ่งพันดวง เช่นเดียวกัน แม้ด้วยประทีปร้อยดวง หรือด้วยพวงมาลัยประทีปสามสิบสองดวง ก็พึงถวายเกียรติแด่พระองค์ด้วยแสงประทีป

Word by Word

• प्रदीपानाम्: of lamps
• प्रदीपानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• सहस्रेण: with a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• दीपनीयः: to be illuminated
• दीपनीयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीपनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दीप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be illuminated)

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सदा शिवः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/likewise)

• दीपशतेन: with a hundred lamps
• दीपशतेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दीपानां शतम्)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थ (even/also)

• द्वात्रिंशत्: thirty-two
• द्वात्रिंशत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वा-त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; दीपमालया इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (numeral used adjectivally)

• दीपमालया: with a garland/row of lamps
• दीपमालया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दीपानां माला)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva shrine at dusk: thousands of small lamps blaze around a liṅga; alternative scenes show 100 lamps and a 32-lamp garland arranged symmetrically, devotees in reverent rows.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering light to Śiva symbolizes removing inner darkness; even modest lamp offerings done with devotion are praised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (Kedarnath) within the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-sevā: lighting many lamps—up to a thousand, or a hundred, or a 32-lamp garland—as an offering to Sadāśiva.