Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तथाऽद्यप्रभृति प्राज्ञ रत्नदीपान्सुनिर्मलान् । अत्रैव सरसस्तीरे देहि दामोदराय च

Transliteration

tathā'dyaprabhṛti prājña ratnadīpānsunirmalān | atraiva sarasastīre dehi dāmodarāya ca

Translation

اور آج سے آگے، اے دانا، نہایت پاکیزہ جواہراتی دیے اسی تالاب کے کنارے پر چڑھایا کرو، اور دَامودر کو بھی نذر کرو۔

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• अद्यप्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्यप्रभृति: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + प्रभृति (अव्यय-समास)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (from today onward)

• प्राज्ञ: O wise one
• प्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• रत्नदीपान्: jewel-lamps
• रत्नदीपान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सुनिर्मलान्: very pure
• सुनिर्मलान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of रत्नदीपान्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘very pure’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सरसः: of the lake
• सरसः: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दामोदराय: to Dāmodara
• दामोदराय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (likely the sage instructing the king; exact identity not stated here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: सरस्-तीर (unnamed lake)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghu-line noble/king addressed as प्राज्ञ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the bank of a serene lake, the devotee begins offering immaculate jewel-like lamps to Dāmodara, the deity’s presence implied or shown as a shrine image.

Characters & Entities

• Dāmodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular devotional offerings (especially light) at a sacred site cultivate purity and sustained divine connection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred lake (sarasa) and its bank are indicated, but the lake’s proper name is not given in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīpa-dāna: offering pure lamps (ratna-dīpa) on the lake-shore, dedicated to Dāmodara.