Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

यदि गृह्णीमहे दानं तस्य भूपस्य देवप । तपसः संप्रणाशः स्याद्यद्धि प्रोक्तं स्वयंभुवा

Transliteration

yadi gṛhṇīmahe dānaṃ tasya bhūpasya devapa | tapasaḥ saṃpraṇāśaḥ syādyaddhi proktaṃ svayaṃbhuvā

Translation

«Si nous acceptons le don de ce roi, ô être divin, notre austérité serait entièrement détruite — ainsi l’a proclamé Svayambhū (Brahmā) lui-même.»

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक निपात (conditional particle)

• गृह्णीमहे: we accept/take
• गृह्णीमहे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• भूपस्य: of the king
• भूपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• देवप: O lord (devapa)
• देवप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवप (प्रातिपदिक; संबोधन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन एकवचन; (vocative)

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• संप्रणाशः: complete destruction
• संप्रणाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-प्र-नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (potential/optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रोक्तम्: said, declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; 'said'

• स्वयंभुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभुवा: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instr./करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of austere brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis decline a king’s lavish offering, citing Brahmā’s ordinance; their matted hair and calm faces contrast with the king’s opulence.

Characters & Entities

• Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• Indra
• King (Bhūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all gifts are spiritually neutral; accepting dāna under compromising conditions can annihilate tapas, as upheld by Brahmā’s ordinance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse focuses on dāna-ethics within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting; it does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule regarding dāna is implied: refusal of certain royal gifts to protect ascetic austerity (tapas) and spiritual integrity.