Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यदत्र दीयते दानं हूयते यच्च पावके । सर्वं तदक्षयं विद्याज्जपानशनसाधनात्

Transliteration

yadatra dīyate dānaṃ hūyate yacca pāvake | sarvaṃ tadakṣayaṃ vidyājjapānaśanasādhanāt

Translation

凡在此处所行布施，凡投入圣火之供献，当知一切皆不坏不尽；皆由持咒（japa）与斋戒等修持之力所成。

Word by Word

• yat: whatever (that which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; relative pronoun (यत्)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• dīyate: is given
• dīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा, धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• dānam: gift, donation
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• hūyate: is offered (as oblation)
• hūyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (हु, धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• yat: whatever (that which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• pāvake: in the fire
• pāvake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• sarvam: all (of that)
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• akṣayam: imperishable, inexhaustible
• akṣayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक); na + kṣaya (क्षय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of तत्/सर्वम्)

• vidyāt: should know
• vidyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (विद्, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• japa: recitation
• japa: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; जप (m.)

• anaśana: fasting
• anaśana: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासमध्यपद; अनशन (n.) fasting

• sādhanāt: from the practice/means of japa and fasting
• sādhanāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa-anaśana-sādhana (प्रातिपदिक); जप + अनशन + साधन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समास: जपानशनसाधन (determinative: 'means consisting of japa and fasting')

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradīya-saras (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed in nearby verse; discourse context suggests instruction to Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a forest-lake tīrtha: a small homa-kuṇḍa with steady flames, a donor placing gifts before a priest, and a devotee seated in japa with rudrākṣa; the atmosphere suggests ‘akṣaya’ merit being sanctified by mantra and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Nāradīya-saras
• pāvaka (sacred fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a powerful tīrtha, dharmic acts like charity and fire-offerings become akṣaya when supported by disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāradīya-saras, where dāna and homa are said to yield imperishable merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charity), homa (offerings into fire), along with japa and anaśana (fasting/abstinence).