Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

संपूर्णदक्षिणैरेव वत्सरं वत्सरं प्रति । तथा दानानि सर्वाणि प्रदत्तानि महात्मना

Transliteration

saṃpūrṇadakṣiṇaireva vatsaraṃ vatsaraṃ prati | tathā dānāni sarvāṇi pradattāni mahātmanā

Translation

D’année en année, il accomplit les rites en offrant la dakṣiṇā entière aux prêtres; de même, ce roi à la grande âme accorda toutes sortes de dons de charité.

Word by Word

• संपूर्णदक्षिणैः: with full sacrificial fees
• संपूर्णदक्षिणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संपूर्ण + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (संपूर्णाः दक्षिणाः = complete fees/donations)

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वत्सरम्: for a year
• वत्सरम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरणार्थे (accusative of duration)

• वत्सरम्: year (each)
• वत्सरम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्तिः (repetition for distributive sense)

• प्रति: per / each
• प्रति: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Distributive marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: ‘per, each’)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus, likewise’)

• दानानि: gifts
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दानानि)

• प्रदत्तानि: were given
• प्रदत्तानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) → प्रदत्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (were given)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/Instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य/महान् आत्मा = great-souled)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of gifts: the king distributing cows, gold, cloth, grain to priests and the needy; ritual pavilion in background; sense of abundance and order.

Characters & Entities

• Triśaṅku
• Dakṣiṇā (ritual fees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious acts bear fruit when they are complete—especially when supported by proper dakṣiṇā and sincere generosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it highlights merit (puṇya) through dāna and ritual completeness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

That sacrifices should be performed with saṃpūrṇa-dakṣiṇā (full and proper fees) and accompanied by broad charitable giving.