Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वर न्नागान्मदोन्मत्तान्भद्रजातिसमुद्भवान् । किं वा सप्तिप्रधानांश्च मनोमारुतरंहसः

Transliteration

vara nnāgānmadonmattānbhadrajātisamudbhavān | kiṃ vā saptipradhānāṃśca manomārutaraṃhasaḥ

Translation

„Soll ich vortreffliche Elefanten schenken, vom Rausch der Brunft berauscht, aus dem edlen Geschlecht Bhadrā geboren? Oder erlesene Rosse, die in ihrem Lauf so schnell sind wie der Wind?“

Word by Word

• वर: excellent
• वर: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘नागान्’ इति विशेषण

• नागान्: elephants
• नागान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• मदोन्मत्तान्: intoxicated with rut
• मदोन्मत्तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + उन्मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘नागान्’ इति विशेषण; मदेन उन्मत्ताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• भद्रजाति-समुद्भवान्: born of the Bhadra breed
• भद्रजाति-समुद्भवान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भद्रजाति + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘नागान्’ इति विशेषण; भद्रजात्या: समुद्भवाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• सप्ति-प्रधानान्: chief among horses
• सप्ति-प्रधानान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्ति + प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; (अश्व) ‘सप्तिभिः प्रधानाः/सप्तिषु प्रधानाः’ इत्यर्थे; ‘(अश्वान्)’ इति अध्याहृतं कर्म

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• मनो-मारुत-रंहसः: swift as mind and wind
• मनो-मारुत-रंहसः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् + मारुत + रंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘(अश्वान्)’ इति विशेषण; मनोमारुतयोः रंह इव येषां (उपमान-तत्पुरुष/बहुपद-समास)

Speaker

The King (as reported by Bhartṛyajña)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king offers grand gifts: rutting elephants of noble stock and wind-swift horses, with attendants and stable-masters presenting them to the brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgāḥ (elephants)
• Aśvāḥ (horses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is portrayed as expansive and honorific—offering one’s best symbolizes sincerity and reverence toward dharma and its custodians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; it highlights dāna rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It gives examples of suitable dakṣiṇā for brāhmaṇas—royal-grade gifts such as elephants and horses.