Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एकया वेलया तत्र वापितं सस्यमुत्तमम् । सप्तवारान्प्रगृह्णंति वैश्याः कृषिपरायणाः

Transliteration

ekayā velayā tatra vāpitaṃ sasyamuttamam | saptavārānpragṛhṇaṃti vaiśyāḥ kṛṣiparāyaṇāḥ

Translation

There, the finest crops sown in a single season are harvested seven times; the Vaiśyas, devoted to agriculture, gather them again and again.

Word by Word

• ekayā: by one (single)
• ekayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• velayā: by/within a time; at one time
• velayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: velā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• vāpitam: sown, planted
• vāpitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vāpita (प्रातिपदिक; √vap (वप्) 'to sow' + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; कर्मणि

• sasyam: crop, grain
• sasyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent, best
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• sapta-vārān: seven times/occasions
• sapta-vārān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta + vāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सप्त वारा:)

• pragṛhṇanti: they take/collect
• pragṛhṇanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√grah (ग्रह्; धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• vaiśyāḥ: Vaiśyas (merchant-farmers)
• vaiśyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• kṛṣi-parāyaṇāḥ: devoted to agriculture
• kṛṣi-parāyaṇāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣi + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृषौ परायणाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Golden fields near a sacred waterbody; farmers harvesting repeatedly, with seven stacked sheaves symbolizing seven harvests; a shrine in the distance and gentle rainclouds indicating ṛta.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśyāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a dharmic age and sacred landscape, nature becomes generous; prosperity is portrayed as a fruit of collective righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes the blessed conditions ‘there’ within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is given; the verse is descriptive of abundance.