Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

धनवृद्धिकरो वैश्यः पशुपालः कृषीवलः । रसादीनां च विक्रेता देवब्राह्मणपूजकः

Transliteration

dhanavṛddhikaro vaiśyaḥ paśupālaḥ kṛṣīvalaḥ | rasādīnāṃ ca vikretā devabrāhmaṇapūjakaḥ

Translation

Der Vaiśya ist der, der den Wohlstand mehrt—er hütet das Vieh, bebaut das Land, verkauft Waren wie Säfte und dergleichen und verehrt die Götter sowie ehrt die Brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• धनवृद्धिकरः: one who causes increase of wealth
• धनवृद्धिकरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धनस्य वृद्धिः) + उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वृद्धिं करोति)

• वैश्यः: a Vaiśya (merchant class person)
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पशुपालः: cattle-herder
• पशुपालः: Predicate Noun (Vidheyapada/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पशूनां पालः)

• कृषीवलः: farmer
• कृषीवलः: Predicate Noun (Vidheyapada/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक) + वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृषेः वलः/कृषिकर्मणि प्रवृत्तः)

• रसादीनाम्: of juices and the like
• रसादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रसः आदिः येषां तानि)

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

• विक्रेता: seller
• विक्रेता: Predicate Noun (Vidheyapada/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + क्री (धातु) → विक्रेतृ (प्रातिपदिक, कर्तृवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृत्-प्रत्ययः—तृच् (agent noun)

• देवब्राह्मणपूजकः: worshipper of gods and Brahmins
• देवब्राह्मणपूजकः: Predicate Noun (Vidheyapada/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व-समाहार/इतरेतर (देवब्राह्मणौ) + षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवब्राह्मणयोः पूजकः)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prosperous vaiśya household: cattle in a pen, fields being ploughed, merchants weighing goods (rasas, produce), and a small shrine where offerings are made to deities and brāhmaṇas are honored.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity becomes dharmic when wealth is grown through honest work and is paired with reverence—worship of the divine and respect for spiritual learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this shloka; it outlines social dharma within the sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions deva-pūjā (worship of the gods) and honoring brāhmaṇas as part of vaiśya conduct.