Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यो यं कामयते कामं किंचिद्वस्त्रं धनं च वा । विचार्य तस्य तद्देयं सर्वयज्ञाधिपेन तु

Transliteration

yo yaṃ kāmayate kāmaṃ kiṃcidvastraṃ dhanaṃ ca vā | vicārya tasya taddeyaṃ sarvayajñādhipena tu

Translation

Welchen Wunsch auch immer jemand begehrt—sei es ein Gewand oder Reichtum—nach rechter Erwägung soll dies ihm vom Herrn gewährt werden, der über alle Opferhandlungen waltet.

Word by Word

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — relative pronoun (nom sg)

• यम्: which; whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — relative pronoun (acc sg)

• कामयते: desires
• कामयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — 'desires'

• कामम्: desire; wish
• कामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular

• किञ्चित्: some; a certain
• किञ्चित्: Vishesana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-परिमाणवाचक (indefinite particle/adverbial)

• वस्त्रम्: cloth; garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular

• धनम्: wealth; money
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• विचार्य: having considered
• विचार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vicārya (कृदन्त; √car (धातु) उपसर्ग-वि)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — 'having considered'

• तस्य: to/for him; of him
• तस्य: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — genitive singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Vishesana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — demonstrative used adjectivally with 'deyam'

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dā (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) — 'to be given'

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• अधिपेन: by the lord of all sacrifices
• अधिपेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — instrumental singular; समास: सर्वेषां यज्ञानाम् अधिपः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A presiding deity of sacrifice (Yajñeśvara) overseeing orderly distribution: pilgrims request cloth or wealth; an officiant consults dharmic propriety before granting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma at a sacred rite includes thoughtful generosity—meeting sincere needs is portrayed as part of yajña itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, praising the sacred-place framework where yajña and dāna are performed (the exact tīrtha name is not stated in this snippet).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription of dāna: give what is needed—such as clothing or wealth—after proper discernment, as part of the sacrificial administration.