Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मन्येत कृतकृत्यत्वं येन पुत्रेण धर्मपः । अन्यैः पुत्रशतैः किं वा वंशानुद्धारकारकैः

Transliteration

manyeta kṛtakṛtyatvaṃ yena putreṇa dharmapaḥ | anyaiḥ putraśataiḥ kiṃ vā vaṃśānuddhārakārakaiḥ

Translation

Durch einen solchen Sohn würde der Herr der Dharma meinen, alles Erforderliche vollbracht zu haben; wozu bedürfte es dann hunderter anderer Söhne, selbst wenn sie das Geschlecht retten und fortführen könnten?

Word by Word

• मन्येत: should consider
• मन्येत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कृतकृत्यत्वम्: the state of having fulfilled one’s duty
• कृतकृत्यत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (भाव-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (कृतं कृत्यं येन/यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पुत्रेण: by (a) son
• पुत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• धर्मपः: a righteous man
• धर्मपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘धर्मपालकः/धर्मपरः’ अर्थे

• अन्यैः: by other
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुत्रशतैः: by hundreds of sons
• पुत्रशतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुत्राणां शतम्), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• वंशान्: lineages/families
• वंशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• उद्धारकारकैः: by those who cause uplift/rescue
• उद्धारकारकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्धारकारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उद्धारस्य कारकः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Yama (implied by dharmapaḥ and narrative continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-lord figure (as judge/guardian of righteousness) gazes upon a single virtuous son performing ancestral rites; behind them, a faint crowd of many sons fades, emphasizing ‘quality over quantity’.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Dharmapa)
• Son (putra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Quality of dharma outweighs quantity: one truly righteous son fulfills higher religious aims beyond mere continuation of lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; this is a doctrinal statement within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it emphasizes the ideal of dharmic sonship.