Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ददौ च शासनशतं प्रक्षाल्य चरणांस्ततः । षड्विंशत्यधिकं राजा नागराणां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

dadau ca śāsanaśataṃ prakṣālya caraṇāṃstataḥ | ṣaḍviṃśatyadhikaṃ rājā nāgarāṇāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

Daraufhin, nachdem er ihre Füße gewaschen hatte, verlieh der König hundert Urkunden — ja, hundertsechsundzwanzig — den großherzigen Brāhmaṇas der Nāgara-Gemeinschaft.

Word by Word

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शासनशतम्: a hundred edicts/grants
• शासनशतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन + शत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd case, accusative, singular)

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; अर्थः ‘having washed’

• चरणान्: feet
• चरणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd case, accusative, plural)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); अर्थः ‘then/thereafter’

• षड्विंशत्यधिकम्: twenty-six more (in addition)
• षड्विंशत्यधिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षड्विंशति + अधिक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd case, accusative, singular); संख्याविशेषणम् (qualifying an implied ‘शासनशतम्’/दानम्)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case, nominative, singular)

• नागराणाम्: to/for the Nāgaras
• नागराणाम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी (6th case, genitive, plural)

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled
• महात्मनाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा+आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी (6th case, genitive, plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘नागराणाम्’)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, having washed the feet of venerable Nāgara brāhmaṇas seated in a tīrtha precinct, presents written charters (śāsana-patra) in a formal donation ceremony.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara (community)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler repairs adharma through generous, formal restitution—charitable grants made with reverence to the righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha (context of the king’s acts of devotion and giving).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna in the form of śāsanas (formal grants/charters), preceded by respectful service (washing feet).