Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सुभद्रेण च सर्वस्वं देयं विप्रेभ्य एव च । चतुर्थांशश्च यैर्भुक्तं तद्गृहे स्वधनस्य च

Transliteration

subhadreṇa ca sarvasvaṃ deyaṃ viprebhya eva ca | caturthāṃśaśca yairbhuktaṃ tadgṛhe svadhanasya ca

Translation

Und in heilsamer, glückverheißender Gesinnung soll man den Brāhmaṇas sein gesamtes Vermögen darbringen. Wer aber bereits seinen Anteil genossen hat, der gebe in seinem eigenen Haus den vierten Teil seines Besitzes.

Word by Word

• सुभद्रेण: by/through Subhadra (name)
• सुभद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Agentive association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया, एकवचनम्; (व्यक्तिनाम)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वस्वम्: all possessions/everything
• सर्वस्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• देयम्: to be given
• देयम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थे यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘सर्वस्वम्’ विशेषणम्

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचनम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्थांशः: a fourth part
• चतुर्थांशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्थ + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (caturthaḥ aṃśaḥ)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• भुक्तम्: enjoyed/consumed
• भुक्तम्: Karma (Implied object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (अर्थतः ‘भुक्तम् (धनम्)’ ellipsis)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Determinative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी/प्रथमा?; अत्र ‘तद्गृहे’ इति समासपूर्वपदम् (that)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• स्वधनस्य: of one’s own wealth
• स्वधनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (svam dhanam)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional voice in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Householders present deeds, coins, grain, and valuables to seated brāhmaṇas; a sense of solemn renunciation pervades, while scribes record shares—full gifts for some, a quarter-share for those who previously enjoyed benefits.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification and welfare are pursued through generous dāna, especially to worthy brāhmaṇas, as a dharmic remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the particular place-name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna: giving wealth to brāhmaṇas; additionally, a “fourth share” (caturthāṃśa) of one’s wealth is prescribed for those who partook/benefited.