Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

दानं तपो रुद्रजापः सर्वमक्षयमेव च । त्वं च नन्दी द्वितीयो मे प्रतीहारो भविष्यसि

Transliteration

dānaṃ tapo rudrajāpaḥ sarvamakṣayameva ca | tvaṃ ca nandī dvitīyo me pratīhāro bhaviṣyasi

Translation

دان، تپسیا اور رودر کے نام کا جپ—یہ سب حقیقتاً اَکشیہ (لازوال) ہو جاتا ہے۔ اور تم، نندی، میرے دوسرے دربان (پرتیہار) بنو گے۔

Word by Word

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicative item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicative item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• रुद्रजापः: Rudra-mantra recitation
• रुद्रजापः: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicative item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + जाप (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Rudra-japa = japa of Rudra)

• सर्वम्: all (of this)
• सर्वम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अक्षयम्: imperishable / inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: विधेयविशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Predicate adjective agreeing with सर्वम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: सम्बोधन/अपादान (Apposition to त्वम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular (proper name)

• द्वितीयः: second
• द्वितीयः: विधेयविशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Predicate adjective

• मे: of me / my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• प्रतीहारः: doorkeeper/attendant
• प्रतीहारः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन — you will be

Speaker

Śiva (direct address to Nandī and first-person “me”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandī (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra grants a boon: the air glows with mantra-syllables; devotees give alms and perform japa; Nandī stands vigilant at the threshold, receiving the designation of ‘second gatekeeper’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Rudra
• Nandī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva practice unites inner discipline (tapas), generosity (dāna), and mantra (Rudra-japa), producing imperishable spiritual capital.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily theological (Śiva–Nandī) rather than geographic; it supports the māhātmya of the ongoing liṅga-kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in dāna, tapas, and Rudra-japa as core Śaiva observances yielding akṣaya merit.