Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

विद्यादानं च गोदानं भूमिदानं प्रयच्छति । विष्णुप्रीत्यर्थमेवेह स तारयति पूर्वजान्

Transliteration

vidyādānaṃ ca godānaṃ bhūmidānaṃ prayacchati | viṣṇuprītyarthameveha sa tārayati pūrvajān

Translation

Wer die Gabe des Wissens, die Gabe der Kühe und die Gabe des Landes spendet — einzig um Vishnu zu erfreuen —, der erlöst wahrhaftig sogar seine Vorfahren im Jenseits.

Word by Word

• विद्यादानम्: gift of knowledge
• विद्यादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विद्यायाः दानम्)

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

• गोदानम्: gift of cows
• गोदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां दानम्)

• भूमिदानम्: gift of land
• भूमिदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः दानम्)

• प्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विष्णुप्रीत्यर्थम्: for the sake of pleasing Viṣṇu
• विष्णुप्रीत्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः प्रीत्यर्थम् = for the sake of pleasing Viṣṇu)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तारयति: causes to cross, saves
• तारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• पूर्वजान्: forefathers, ancestors
• पूर्वजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composite tableau: a teacher receiving manuscripts (vidyā-dāna), a cow being respectfully gifted with garland and water-pot (go-dāna), and a land grant deed offered to a temple/āśrama (bhū-dāna); above, Viṣṇu’s approving gaze; behind, ancestors rising in light.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Ancestors (pūrvajāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When charity is offered as devotion to Viṣṇu, it becomes not only personal merit but also ancestral upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is specified; the verse presents a dharma principle commonly taught within tīrtha-māhātmya contexts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vidyādāna, godāna, and bhūmidāna with the explicit intention of pleasing Viṣṇu.