Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अष्टांशं यैर्जलं पीतं गोदानं स्पर्शसंभवम् । शेषाणामपि लोकानां यथाशक्त्या तु दक्षिणा

Transliteration

aṣṭāṃśaṃ yairjalaṃ pītaṃ godānaṃ sparśasaṃbhavam | śeṣāṇāmapi lokānāṃ yathāśaktyā tu dakṣiṇā

Translation

Wer von diesem Wasser trank, soll den achten Teil geben und zudem go-dāna, die Gabe einer Kuh, die aus dem Berührungsritus hervorgeht. Den übrigen Menschen aber seien dakṣiṇā und Gaben nach Kräften darzubringen.

Word by Word

• अष्टांशम्: an eighth part
• अष्टांशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (aṣṭamaḥ aṃśaḥ = one-eighth)

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

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• पीतम्: drunk
• पीतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘जलम्’ विशेषणम्

• गोदानम्: gift of a cow
• गोदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (gāvaḥ dānam)

• स्पर्शसंभवम्: arising from (mere) touch
• स्पर्शसंभवम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पर्श + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (sparśāt sambhavam) ‘गोदानम्’ विशेषणम्

• शेषाणाम्: of the remaining
• शेषाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• लोकानाम्: of the people/worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्

• यथाशक्त्या: according to one’s capacity
• यथाशक्त्या: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; तृतीया-एकवचनान्त-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (according to ability)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• दक्षिणा: fee/donation (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional voice in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims sip sacred water from cupped hands; attendants mark them with ritual touch; afterward donors present a cow (or cow-gift tokens) and measured wealth shares, while others offer modest dakṣiṇā according to means.

Characters & Entities

• Go-dāna (cow-gift)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small acts connected to sacred rites (like drinking tīrtha-water) carry responsibility—purity is maintained through proportionate charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha discourse; no single named tīrtha appears in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An eighth-share donation for those who drank the water, plus go-dāna; others should give dakṣiṇā according to means.