Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

दशक्रतुसमः पुत्रो दशपुत्रसमो द्रुमः

Transliteration

daśakratusamaḥ putro daśaputrasamo drumaḥ

Translation

ایک بیٹا دس یَجْنوں کے برابر ہے؛ اور ایک درخت دس بیٹوں کے برابر سمجھا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (numeral used as prior member)

• kratu: (like) Indra (lit. lord of ten sacrifices)
• kratu: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• samaḥ: equal (to)
• samaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; तुल्य/सम (Masculine, Nominative singular; ‘equal’)

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (numeral used as prior member)

• putra: sons
• putra: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• samaḥ: equal (to)
• samaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; तुल्य/सम (Masculine, Nominative singular; ‘equal’)

• drumaḥ: tree
• drumaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually continuing the merit-scale)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a sage or deity indicates a sapling being planted; on one side a sacrificial altar with ten fires, on the other a family with sons—yet the tree stands central as the greater, life-giving merit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustaining life for many—symbolized by planting a tree—surpasses even major ritual and social merits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is universal and dharmic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tree-planting is recommended implicitly as a high-merit act; yajña is referenced for comparison.