Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अनन्ततृप्तिदं नैव तत्सुतैरपि वा तथा । क्रयक्रीता च या कन्या दासी सा परिकीर्तिता

Transliteration

anantatṛptidaṃ naiva tatsutairapi vā tathā | krayakrītā ca yā kanyā dāsī sā parikīrtitā

Translation

Diese Regelung gewährt keine endlose Erfüllung, und sie wird auch nicht dadurch so, dass sie Söhne hat. Und das Mädchen, das um einen Preis gekauft wird, wird als Dienerin (dāsī) bezeichnet.

Word by Word

• ananta-tṛpti-dam: giving endless satisfaction
• ananta-tṛpti-dam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक) + tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक) + da (धातु) → da (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘दम्’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘अनन्ता तृप्तिः यस्मात्/येन दत्ते’)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• tat-sutaiḥ: by/with his sons
• tat-sutaiḥ: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘तस्य सुताः’)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• kraya-krītā: purchased (for money)
• kraya-krītā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kraya (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛ (धातु) → krīta (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-भावः (‘क्रयेन क्रीता’ = bought for a price)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• yā: who/which (girl)
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• kanyā: maiden/girl
• kanyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dāsī: female slave/servant
• dāsī: Pradhāna-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāsī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• parikīrtitā: is proclaimed/called
• parikīrtitā: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + kīrt (धातु) → kīrtita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) — कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is called/declared’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene: on one side, a sacred wedding with fire and mantras; on the other, a grim exchange of coins for a maiden, shown as spiritually barren—no radiance, no auspicious signs—underscoring ‘na ananta-tṛpti’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not fulfilled by transactional arrangements; spiritual well-being is tied to righteous intent rather than purchase and possession.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No pilgrimage site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides a moral definition/valuation rather than a ritual instruction.