Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

यदर्थेन महाराज पृष्टोस्माभिर्यतो भवान् । तस्मान्नो दक्षिणां देहि संदेहघ्नां तपोत्तम

Transliteration

yadarthena mahārāja pṛṣṭosmābhiryato bhavān | tasmānno dakṣiṇāṃ dehi saṃdehaghnāṃ tapottama

Translation

হে মহাৰাজ, যি উদ্দেশ্যে আমি আপোনাক প্ৰশ্ন কৰিছোঁ, সেই কাৰণেই আমাক সন্দেহনাশক দক্ষিণা দান কৰক, হে তপস্যাত শ্ৰেষ্ঠ।

Word by Word

• यदर्थेन: for which purpose
• यदर्थेन: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; यदर्थः तेन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• पृष्टः: (you were) asked
• पृष्टः: Karta-predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + छद्/पृच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Kartr (agent in passive)/Karana (कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘अतः/तस्मात्’ (ablatival adverb)

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन (enclitic)

• दक्षिणाम्: a priestly fee, gift
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• संदेहघ्नाम्: that destroys doubt
• संदेहघ्नाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संदेह + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘दक्षिणाम्’ इति विशेषण; संदेहं हन्ति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• तपोत्तम: O best of ascetics
• तपोत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas respectfully requesting from the king not wealth but a doubt-destroying dakṣiṇā—symbolized as a scroll of dharma or a lamp of knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• King (Mahārāja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest ‘dakṣiṇā’ is not wealth but knowledge that removes doubt and establishes dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya context, but this line alone does not identify the tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It redefines dakṣiṇā as a request for doubt-destroying guidance (upadeśa), rather than material payment.