Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

वृश्चाप्यक्षयस्तस्य तुष्टो रुद्रो वरं ददौ । प्रयाग वटतुल्योऽयमेतत्सत्यं न संशयः

Transliteration

vṛścāpyakṣayastasya tuṣṭo rudro varaṃ dadau | prayāga vaṭatulyo'yametatsatyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Maging ang handog (para sa mga ninuno) niya ay nagiging di-nauubos; si Rudra, na nalugod, ay nagkaloob ng biyayang ito. “Ang pook na ito’y kapantay ng Akṣayavaṭa ng Prayāga—ito’y katotohanan, walang pag-aalinlangan.”

Word by Word

• वृश्च: cut (you cut)
• वृश्च: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृश्च (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• अक्षयः: (it is) imperishable; inexhaustible
• अक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; तुष् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• रुद्रः: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• प्रयाग: Prayāga
• प्रयाग: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वटतुल्यः: equal to a banyan tree
• वटतुल्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha; वटेन तुल्यः = equal to a banyan); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this (statement/thing)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc, 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Kriya (Predicative complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc, 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Akṣayavaṭa-tulya-sthāna (local Akṣaya-vaṭa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra, pleased, grants a boon while a sacred banyan (vaṭa) stands as the emblem of inexhaustible merit; pilgrims approach with offerings for ancestors.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Prayāga
• Akṣayavaṭa (implied by Prayāga-vaṭa)
• Siddhakuṇḍa/Siddhakūpa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace makes meritorious acts ‘akṣaya’ when performed at a sanctified site with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Siddhakuṇḍa/Siddhakūpa area is exalted as equal in potency to Prayāga’s famed Akṣayavaṭa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The context is śrāddha/offerings whose fruit becomes akṣaya when performed here.