Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पूजार्थं देवताभ्यां च ब्राह्मणेभ्यः समर्पितम् । भिक्षाभुजौ ततो जातौ दम्पती तौ ततः परम्

Transliteration

pūjārthaṃ devatābhyāṃ ca brāhmaṇebhyaḥ samarpitam | bhikṣābhujau tato jātau dampatī tau tataḥ param

Translation

Zum Zwecke der Verehrung wurde jenes Vermögen den Gottheiten dargebracht und auch den Brahmanen übergeben. Von da an lebte das Ehepaar von Almosen und nährte sich durch Gaben.

Word by Word

• pūjā-artham: for the purpose of worship
• pūjā-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अर्थे (purpose) अव्ययप्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्

• devatābhyām: by/with the two deities
• devatābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• samarpitam: offered/dedicated
• samarpitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√arp (अर्प् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः

• bhikṣā-bhujau: two beggar-eaters (living on alms)
• bhikṣā-bhujau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuj (भुज् धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भिक्षां भुञ्जाते इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (then/from that)

• jātau: were born/became
• jātau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• dampatī: a couple (husband and wife)
• dampatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dampatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (युग्मवाचक), प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• param: further/next
• param: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रमवाचक (further/next)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Nāgarakhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nimbēśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The couple offers their remaining wealth for deity worship and to Brāhmaṇas; afterward they live as alms-eaters, carrying simple bowls and wearing plain garments.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Devatās

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and worship can culminate in detachment—treating wealth as an instrument for dharma rather than possession.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya connected to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering for pūjā and giving gifts to Brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇa-dāna) are explicitly stated.