Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तिला विशेषफलदास्तिलाः शत्रुविनाशनाः । तिलाः सर्वेषु पुण्येषु प्रथमं समुदाहृताः

Transliteration

tilā viśeṣaphaladāstilāḥ śatruvināśanāḥ | tilāḥ sarveṣu puṇyeṣu prathamaṃ samudāhṛtāḥ

Translation

تل خاص پھل دینے والا ہے اور دشمنوں کا ناس کرنے والا ہے۔ تمام اعمالِ خیر میں تل کو اوّل قرار دیا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विशेषफलदाः: givers of special fruits/results
• विशेषफलदाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विशेषस्य फलस्य दाः)

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शत्रुविनाशनाः: destroyers of enemies
• शत्रुविनाशनाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शत्रूणां विनाशनाः)

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पुण्येषु: meritorious acts
• पुण्येषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• प्रथमम्: first, foremost
• प्रथमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: ‘first/foremost’)

• समुदाहृताः: are declared/mentioned
• समुदाहृताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate participle/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + आ + √हृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘समुदाहृत’ = ‘well-declared/mentioned’

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective rite scene: sesame offered into a small homa fire; the devotee stands firm, while shadowy ‘enemies’ (outer foes or inner vices personified) dissolve in the background; the act is portrayed as foremost among merits.

Characters & Entities

• Tila (sesame)
• Puṇya
• Śatru (enemies/obstacles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma highlights certain offerings as exceptionally potent; sesame symbolizes concentrated merit and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site is specified; the verse functions as a general mahātmya of tila within a tīrtha-oriented chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prioritize sesame in meritorious rites—especially offerings and charitable acts—seeking both spiritual merit and removal of obstacles.