Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

दानधर्मप्रवृत्तानां धर्ममार्गा नुयायिनाम् । प्रोत्साहं वर्धयेद्यस्तु न प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

dānadharmapravṛttānāṃ dharmamārgā nuyāyinām | protsāhaṃ vardhayedyastu na preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

Wer den Eifer und die Ermutigung derer mehrt, die sich dem Geben (dāna) und dem Dharma widmen und dem Pfad der Rechtschaffenheit folgen—ein solcher Mensch wird nicht als Preta geboren.

Word by Word

• dānadharmapravṛttānām: of those engaged in charity and dharma
• dānadharmapravṛttānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + pravṛtta (कृदन्त; प्र+वृत् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘प्रवृत्त’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दानधर्मे प्रवृत्ताः)

• dharmamārgānuyāyinām: of followers of the path of dharma
• dharmamārgānuyāyinām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक) + anuyāyin (प्रातिपदिक; अनु+या (धातु) णिनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धर्ममार्गम् अनुयायिनः = followers of the path of dharma)

• protsāham: enthusiasm, encouragement
• protsāham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: protsāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vardhayet: should increase, should promote
• vardhayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should increase’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पदार्थ-विशेषक/अवधारण/विरोधार्थक particle)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• pretaḥ: a preta
• pretaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A community scene: donors distribute gifts while a respected elder encourages them, placing a supportive hand on a giver’s shoulder; nearby, a scribe records offerings and the poor receive with gratitude—emphasis on moral encouragement.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not only doing good, but strengthening goodness in others is praised as a powerful dharmic contribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the focus is on community dharma that sustains tīrtha-centered religious life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A social-ethical prescription: actively encourage and support practitioners of dāna and dharma.