Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

प्रपादानं तथा चक्रे ग्रीष्मकाले विशेषतः । त्यक्त्वान्याः सकला याश्च क्रिया धर्मसमुद्भवाः

Transliteration

prapādānaṃ tathā cakre grīṣmakāle viśeṣataḥ | tyaktvānyāḥ sakalā yāśca kriyā dharmasamudbhavāḥ

Translation

Er richtete auch prapās ein, Wasser- und Raststätten, besonders in der Sommerzeit. Andere verdienstvolle, aus dem Dharma entspringende Handlungen beiseitelassend, widmete er sich diesem Dienst.

Word by Word

• prapādānam: foot-washing/foot-service (prapādāna)
• prapādānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prapādāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• tathā: thus, in that manner
• tathā: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner-adverb (तथावाचक)

• cakre: did, performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada; 3rd sg perfect

• grīṣmakāle: in the summer season
• grīṣmakāle: Adhikarana (Location/Time-आधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grīṣma-kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular masculine; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ग्रीष्मस्य कालः)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially, particularly
• viśeṣataḥ: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphasis-adverb (विशेषेण)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल; having abandoned

• anyāḥ: other (ones)
• anyāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine; विशेषण (क्रीयाः)

• sakalāḥ: all, entire
• sakalāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine; विशेषण (क्रीयाः)

• yāḥ: which
• yāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; relative pronoun; accusative plural feminine (referring to kriyāḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• kriyāḥ: ritual acts, actions
• kriyāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine

• dharmasamudbhavāḥ: arising from dharma
• dharmasamudbhavāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine; विशेषण (क्रीयाः); समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मात् समुद्भवाः)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A righteous king orders the building of prapās: shaded pavilions with pots of cool water, attendants offering cups to weary pilgrims under a blazing summer sun; travelers, sādhus, and villagers gather gratefully.

Characters & Entities

• Satyasena
• prapā (water-station)
• summer (grīṣma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Relieving thirst is exalted dharma; compassionate public service—especially in harsh seasons—becomes a high form of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse praises a dharmic practice commonly linked with tīrtha-merit: providing water for travelers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prapā-dāna (establishing/free distribution of water), particularly in summer—an applied form of jala-dāna (water charity).