Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तोयं सान्नं सदा दद्यादन्नं चैव सदक्षिणम् । य इच्छेच्छाश्वतीं तृप्तिमिह लोके परत्र च

Transliteration

toyaṃ sānnaṃ sadā dadyādannaṃ caiva sadakṣiṇam | ya icchecchāśvatīṃ tṛptimiha loke paratra ca

Translation

Celui qui désire une satiété durable—en ce monde et dans l’au-delà—doit toujours offrir de l’eau, de la nourriture cuite, et des dons de nourriture accompagnés de la dakṣiṇā (don d’honneur) appropriée.

Word by Word

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सान्नम्: with food/with cooked rice (as offering)
• सान्नम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सान्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थ (emphasis)

• सदक्षिणम्: with dakṣiṇā (fee/gift)
• सदक्षिणम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इच्छेत्: would desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शाश्वतीम्: eternal
• शाश्वतीम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction/contentment
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इह: here
• इह: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परत्र: in the next world/thereafter
• परत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in the other world/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; preceding voice not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene charitable scene: donors offering cool water and cooked rice/food to brāhmaṇas/wayfarers, with dakṣiṇā placed respectfully; the atmosphere conveys abundance and calm satisfaction.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Lasting contentment is cultivated through steady charity—especially water and food offered with reverence and appropriate dakṣiṇā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within a Tīrthamāhātmya context but does not name a specific tīrtha in this line; it states a general dharma applicable to pilgrimage settings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular dāna: gifting water (jala-dāna) and food (anna-dāna), ideally with dakṣiṇā.