Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ततो मया गृहीतानि पद्मानि द्विजसत्तमाः । विक्रयार्थं प्रभूतानि वाच्छमानेन भोजनम्

Transliteration

tato mayā gṛhītāni padmāni dvijasattamāḥ | vikrayārthaṃ prabhūtāni vācchamānena bhojanam

Translation

So I gathered many lotuses for selling, O best of the twice-born, desiring thereby to obtain food.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्) — ‘ततः’ = thereafter/from there

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोगः; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; लिङ्ग-निर्देशः अप्रासंगिकः

• gṛhītāni: taken/collected
• gṛhītāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु) + kta (क्त) → gṛhīta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘taken/collected’

• padmāni: lotuses
• padmāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचनम्

• dvija-sattamāḥ: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvija-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (हे द्विजसत्तमाः)

• vikraya-artham: for sale; for the purpose of selling
• vikraya-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vikraya (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासान्तं अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम् — ‘for the purpose of selling’

• prabhūtāni: abundant; many
• prabhūtāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prabhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; ‘many/abundant’ (padmāni इति विशेष्येण सह)

• vācchamānena: by (one) desiring
• vācchamānena: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāñch (धातु) + śatṛ/śānac (शानच्) → vāñchamāna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तं कृदन्तम्; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्भवः, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; ‘desiring’

• bhojanam: food; a meal
• bhojanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a merchant/traveler) within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (assembled brāhmaṇas / sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor lotus-gatherer with a bundle of fresh padmas, looking toward a distant city gate, the waterbody behind him shimmering; his wife nearby, both travel-worn.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking sustenance through honest effort is consistent with dharma; the tīrtha landscape becomes a setting where providence and effort meet.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The lotus-rich lake (saras) near Camatkārapura remains the implied sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual instruction; the verse describes gathering lotuses for sale to secure food.