Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

नियता नियताहारा स्नानजप्यपरायणा । यच्छमाना द्विजाग्र्येभ्यो दानानि विविधानि च

Transliteration

niyatā niyatāhārā snānajapyaparāyaṇā | yacchamānā dvijāgryebhyo dānāni vividhāni ca

Translation

Selbstbeherrscht und maßvoll in der Nahrung, dem heiligen Bad und dem Gebetsrezitieren hingegeben, spendete sie fortwährend vielfältige Gaben an erhabene Brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• नियता: disciplined
• नियता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + यम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (restrained/observant)

• नियताहारा: with regulated food
• नियताहारा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (having regulated diet)

• स्नानजप्यपरायणा: devoted to bathing and japa
• स्नानजप्यपरायणा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + जप्य + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (devoted to bathing and recitation)

• यच्छमाना: bestowing
• यच्छमाना: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम् (धातु) + शानच्/मान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले ‘मान’ प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (giving/bestowing)

• द्विजाग्र्येभ्यः: to the foremost Brahmins
• द्विजाग्र्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); बहुवचन

• दानानि: gifts
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• विविधानि: various
• विविधानि: Visheshana (Adjectival to object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘दानानि’)

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

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Morning at a sacred waterbody: the woman performs snāna, then sits with a japa-mālā; later she offers gifts to venerable brāhmaṇas seated in a row.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (dvijāgryāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened through disciplined living, purity practices, mantra-recitation, and generous charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the tīrtha-māhātmya theme by describing standard practices associated with sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regulated diet (niyatāhāra), snāna (ritual bathing), japa (recitation), and dāna (charity to brāhmaṇas).