Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

तस्मात्प्रार्थय विप्रेंद्रान्कांश्चिदेषां महात्मनाम् । येन यच्छामि सुस्थानं कृत्वा तेभ्यस्तवाज्ञया

Transliteration

tasmātprārthaya vipreṃdrānkāṃścideṣāṃ mahātmanām | yena yacchāmi susthānaṃ kṛtvā tebhyastavājñayā

Translation

C’est pourquoi, je te prie de solliciter quelques-uns de ces Brāhmaṇa éminents, aux grandes âmes, afin que—sur ton ordre—je prépare une demeure digne et la leur concède.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Logical relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/निष्कर्षबोधक) — therefore

• प्रार्थय: request
• प्रार्थय: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — request/entreat

• विप्रेंद्रान्: chief Brahmins
• विप्रेंद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — तत्पुरुष (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः) = chiefs of Brahmins

• कान्: some
• कान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — which/some (interrog./indef. in context)

• चित्: (indefinite particle)
• चित्: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (अनिश्चितार्थक-निपात) — -ever/some

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन — of these

• महात्मनाम्: of great-souled ones
• महात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — कर्मधारय (महान् आत्मा यस्य) = great-souled; here: ‘of great-souled (ones)’

• येन: so that
• येन: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे तृतीया-एकवचनप्रयोगः (हेतौ) — so that/whereby

• यच्छामि: I give
• यच्छामि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — I give/bestow

• सुस्थानम्: a good abode
• सुस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — तत्पुरुष (सु-स्थानम्) = good place/secure abode

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय) — having done/after doing

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन — to them

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन — your/of you

• आज्ञया: by command
• आज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — by (your) command

Speaker

King / elder narrator (petitioning an authority figure addressed implicitly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as authority)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker respectfully petitions the king to invite/select great-souled Brāhmaṇas; he seeks royal command to prepare a proper residence and then donate it—depicting humility, protocol, and communal witnessing.

Characters & Entities

• viprendrāḥ (foremost Brāhmaṇas)
• mahātmānaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity should be done properly—by honoring the worthy, seeking consent, and establishing a stable support-system for dhārmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on arranging a ‘susthāna’ (worthy settlement) as part of the chapter’s sacred-geography ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Organized dāna: inviting eminent Brāhmaṇas and granting them a well-prepared dwelling/place.