Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

संचिन्त्य धर्मशास्त्राणि विचार्य च पुनः पुनः । सर्वस्वमपि दास्यामि पुत्रहेतोरसंशयम्

Transliteration

saṃcintya dharmaśāstrāṇi vicārya ca punaḥ punaḥ | sarvasvamapi dāsyāmi putrahetorasaṃśayam

Translation

Nachdem er über die Dharma-śāstras nachgesonnen und immer wieder erwogen hatte, fasste er den Entschluss: „Für meinen Sohn werde ich ohne Zweifel sogar alles hingeben, was ich besitze.“

Word by Word

• संचिन्त्य: having pondered
• संचिन्त्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), 'having reflected well'

• धर्मशास्त्राणि: the dharma-texts
• धर्मशास्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharmaśāstra = 'treatises of dharma')

• विचार्य: having examined
• विचार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), 'having considered/examined'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: again)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: again)

• सर्वस्वम्: everything; all possessions
• सर्वस्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sarvasva = 'all one’s property')

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थक-निपात (even)

• दास्यामि: I will give
• दास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रहेतोः: for my son’s sake
• पुत्रहेतोः: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (putra-hetu = 'for the sake/cause of (my) son'); here हेतोः = 'for the sake of' (genitive sense)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ (नञ्) + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: 'without doubt')

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The father, after repeated deliberation on dharma-śāstras, resolves to give away even all his wealth for his son’s sake—an image of sacrificial parental duty and śāstric conscience.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires thoughtful discernment, and compassion expressed through sacrifice and charity supports moral restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the broader section is a Tīrthamāhātmya discourse where tīrtha-practice frames purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A resolve toward dāna (charitable giving), even to the point of offering one’s entire wealth for a righteous cause.