Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तस्माद्वदथ किं दानं युष्मद्भूमेश्च निष्क्रये । प्रयच्छामि च यज्ञस्य येन मे स्यात्फलं द्विजाः

Transliteration

tasmādvadatha kiṃ dānaṃ yuṣmadbhūmeśca niṣkraye | prayacchāmi ca yajñasya yena me syātphalaṃ dvijāḥ

Translation

Dites-moi donc : quel don faut-il offrir comme prix de rachat pour votre terre ? Je l’accorderai pour le yajña, afin que moi, ô deux-fois-nés, j’en obtienne le fruit.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival adverbial use: 'therefore/from that')

• वदथ: you (all) say/tell
• वदथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• दानम्: gift; donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• युष्मत्: of you (all)
• युष्मत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• भूमेः: of the land
• भूमेः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• निष्क्रये: in/for the redemption price; as ransom
• निष्क्रये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्क्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अर्थे 'निष्क्रय-प्रसङ्गे/मूल्ये' (in the matter of redemption/price)

• प्रयच्छामि: I give; I will grant
• प्रयच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे 'येन' = 'by which/with which'

• मे: my; for me
• मे: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (enclitic)

• स्यात्: may be; would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा बहुवचन (vocative/nominative plural); संबोधनार्थे

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (contextual, forthcoming)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical) / audience (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A patron/king respectfully addresses assembled brāhmaṇas, asking what gift should redeem their land for a sacrifice; ritual ground marked, fire-altar planned, atmosphere of deliberation.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (Dvipra)
• Dāna
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through rightful giving (dāna) and respect for sacred custodians, ensuring spiritual fruition of rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the establishment and safeguarding of Puṣkara tīrtha within this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna connected to a yajña—specifically, a gift as a ‘redemption-price’ for land used in the ritual context.