Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

भवेयुर्यद्यसंख्याता अर्घयोग्याः समर्चने । ततस्तेषां वरिष्ठाय दातव्योऽर्घः किलैकतः

Transliteration

bhaveyuryadyasaṃkhyātā arghayogyāḥ samarcane | tatasteṣāṃ variṣṭhāya dātavyo'rghaḥ kilaikataḥ

Translation

若在供奉礼拜之中，有无量众生皆堪受阿尔伽，则确应以一份阿尔伽奉献于其中最上者。

Word by Word

• भवेयुः: might be/would be
• भवेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिङ्-लकार (Optative/Potential), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तवाचक (conditional particle)

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अर्घयोग्याः इति/जनाः implied)

• अर्घयोग्याः: worthy of an offering
• अर्घयोग्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्घ + योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (arghasya yogyāḥ)

• समर्चने: in worship/adoration
• समर्चने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्-उपसर्गयुक्त-भाववाचक

• ततः: then/therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (thereupon/therefore)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वरिष्ठाय: to the best/superior one
• वरिष्ठाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; अतिशय-तमतम (superlative)

• दातव्यः: should be given
• दातव्यः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय/कर्तव्यता (to be given)

• अर्घः: the offering
• अर्घः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/ख्यात्यर्थक-निपात (indeed/it is said)

• एकतः: as one (single)
• एकतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक (as one/only once/onefold)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextually Nārada citing a dharma maxim)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: शास्त्रीय-न्याय-रूपेण श्लोकः—कल्पित दृश्ये बहवः ऋषयः/देवताः अर्घ्य-योग्याः, मध्ये ‘वरिष्ठ’ तेजस्वी, तस्मै एकः अर्घ्य-पात्रः समर्प्यते।

Characters & Entities

• Argha
• Dharma
• Tīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes discernment: when many are venerable, one should honor the foremost with focused offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named here; it establishes the principle that one foremost tīrtha can be selected for a primary offering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer one argha to the variṣṭha (best) among many argha-worthy recipients.