Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

त्वमन्ननिष्क्रयं देहि कण्ठस्थमिह भूषणम् । येन नाशं प्रयात्येषा बुभुक्षा जठरोद्भवा

Transliteration

tvamannaniṣkrayaṃ dehi kaṇṭhasthamiha bhūṣaṇam | yena nāśaṃ prayātyeṣā bubhukṣā jaṭharodbhavā

Translation

Gib als Preis für Speise den Schmuck, den du am Hals trägst, damit dieser Hunger—aus dem Bauch geboren—ein Ende nehme.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अन्ननिष्क्रयम्: food as payment/ransom
• अन्ननिष्क्रयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न + निष्क्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘food-price/ransom in food’

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कण्ठस्थम्: neck-worn
• कण्ठस्थम्: Karma (qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्ठस्थ (प्रातिपदिक: कण्ठ + स्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘situated on the neck’

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• भूषणम्: ornament
• भूषणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• नाशम्: destruction/end
• नाशम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रयाति: goes/comes to
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बुभुक्षा: hunger
• बुभुक्षा: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुभुक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जठरोद्भवा: born of the stomach
• जठरोद्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier of बुभुक्षा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जठर + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘arisen from the belly’

Speaker

Narrator (likely the sage instructing the king; exact identity not stated here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghu-line noble/king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs a noble king to give the neck-ornament as the price for food, emphasizing urgent hunger and compassionate pragmatism.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material attachment can be surrendered for immediate relief and higher merit; giving becomes a doorway to grace and restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it belongs to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A form of dāna/tyāga is implied: offering a valuable ornament as annaniṣkraya (food-exchange), i.e., giving wealth to address need.