Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

ईश्वराणां समादिष्टं कायक्लेशभयात्मनाम् । पुरश्चरणमेतद्धि दानं तौल्यसमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

īśvarāṇāṃ samādiṣṭaṃ kāyakleśabhayātmanām | puraścaraṇametaddhi dānaṃ taulyasamudbhavam

Translation

هذه الصدقةُ المولودةُ من الميزان قد أمر بها السادةُ لمن يخافون مشقّةَ الجسد؛ حقًّا إنها «بورشَچَرَنا» لهم، أي تمامُ السلوكِ التمهيدي.

Word by Word

• ईश्वराणाम्: of the lords (deities)
• ईश्वराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• समादिष्टम्: enjoined
• समादिष्टम्: Karta (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-दिś् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (enjoined)

• काय-क्लेश-भय-आत्मनाम्: of those whose nature is fear of bodily hardship
• काय-क्लेश-भय-आत्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय + क्लेश + भय + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (those whose nature is fear of bodily hardship)

• पुरः-चरणम्: a preparatory observance
• पुरः-चरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (preliminary practice/rite)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• दानम्: the gift; donation
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तौल्य-समुद्भवम्: arising from weighing (tulā)
• तौल्य-समुद्भवम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तौल्यम् (प्रातिपदिक; तुल्यभाव) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (arising from weighing/equivalence)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tulāpuruṣa-dāna (toullya-samudbhava dāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate divine injunction: celestial beings or Īśvara’s emissaries indicate a balance-scale donation to a frail devotee, suggesting a gentle path instead of harsh austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Puraścaraṇa
• Īśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma offers compassionate alternatives: when severe austerity is difficult, a great act of charity can fulfill the same religious completion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse, though it belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tulā-based donation is prescribed as a functional equivalent of puraścaraṇa for those unable to bear bodily austerities.