Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

वापीकूपतडागानि देवतायतनानि च । यः करोति नरो नित्यं नरकं न स पश्यति

Transliteration

vāpīkūpataḍāgāni devatāyatanāni ca | yaḥ karoti naro nityaṃ narakaṃ na sa paśyati

Translation

Wer regelmäßig Brunnen, Stufenbrunnen und Teiche anlegt und zudem Tempel für die Gottheiten errichtet—der erblickt die Hölle nicht.

Word by Word

• वापी: a well/stepwell
• वापी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समाहारार्थे सूचीकरण)

• कूप: a well
• कूप: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समाहारार्थे सूचीकरण)

• तडागानि: ponds
• तडागानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देवतायतनानि: temples of deities
• देवतायतनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवतायाः आयतनानि = temples/shrines of deities)

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• करोति: makes/builds/does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

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

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yama (contextual, continuing instruction in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General audience within the discourse (brāhmaṇa addressee implied by surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Workers carve a stepwell with ornate pillars; a donor offers a kalasha for consecration; nearby a new temple rises with a fluttering dhvaja; travelers drink and rest, while Yama’s threat fades into the background.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Devatā (the Deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating water-sources and deity-temples is a high public dharma that yields great puṇya and protects from naraka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-supporting works (water infrastructure and temples) in general rather than a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establishing vāpīs, kūpas, taḍāgas (waterworks) and devatāyatanas (temples/shrines).