Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कारयत्यर्थजातैश्च परकीयस्वकीयजैः । एवमर्थश्च बहुधा संजातो धर्मदर्शिनः

Transliteration

kārayatyarthajātaiśca parakīyasvakīyajaiḥ | evamarthaśca bahudhā saṃjāto dharmadarśinaḥ

Translation

Mit Reichtum, der sowohl aus fremden als auch aus eigenen Quellen stammte, ließ er Werke ausführen. So mehrte sich auf vielerlei Weise der Besitz jenes Schauenden des Dharma.

Word by Word

• कारयति: causes to be done / gets done
• कारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच्-प्रत्यय, causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• अर्थजातैः: by wealth that had arisen (profits)
• अर्थजातैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + जात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (अर्थेन जातानि)

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

• परकीयस्वकीयजैः: by those arising from others’ and one’s own (sources)
• परकीयस्वकीयजैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परकीय + स्वकीय + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (परकीय-स्वकीय) + ज (उत्पन्न)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thus/in this way)

• अर्थः: wealth
• अर्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in many ways/much)

• संजातः: arose/was produced
• संजातः: Kriya (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+जन् (धातु) → संजात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle), कर्तरि प्रयोग; 'came into being'

• धर्मदर्शिनः: of the righteous/one who sees dharma
• धर्मदर्शिनः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + दर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (धर्मं पश्यति इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The dharma-seeing householder commissioning works: artisans building a well/ghāṭa or renovating a shrine; the patron stands modestly, offering payment and prayers.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth is meaningful when directed into constructive deeds, guided by dharma-vision (dharma-darśin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the lead-up typical of māhātmya storytelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implies dharmic spending—commissioning beneficial works.