Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

इंद्रौवाच । अनर्होसि महीपाल नरकस्य त्वमेव हि । त्वया दानानि दत्तानि संख्याहीनानि सर्वदा

Transliteration

iṃdrauvāca | anarhosi mahīpāla narakasya tvameva hi | tvayā dānāni dattāni saṃkhyāhīnāni sarvadā

Translation

Indra sprach: „O König, du bist der Hölle nicht würdig — wahrlich, du gehörst nicht dorthin. Doch die Gaben, die du spendetest, waren stets an rechtem Maß und Vollständigkeit mangelhaft.“

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अनर्हः: unworthy
• अनर्हः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महीपाल: O king (protector of the earth)
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरकस्य: of hell
• नरकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थ (emphasis)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (for/indeed)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दत्तानि: given
• दत्तानि: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संख्याहीनानि: without count/innumerable
• संख्याहीनानि: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संख्या + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king (māhīpāla/rājā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra addresses a king in a celestial court, delivering a measured rebuke: the king is not destined for hell, yet his gifts were perpetually deficient; the contrast between heavenly dignity and moral shortfall is emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Vasusena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna must be performed properly—right measure, sincerity, and completeness shape the fruit of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides dharma-teaching within the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A standard is implied: charity should not be deficient (saṃkhyā-hīna); it should be duly measured and complete.