Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तदस्ति नौषधं लोके यत्तेन न कृतं द्विजाः । कुष्ठग्रस्तेन वा दानं यत्र दत्तं महात्मना

Transliteration

tadasti nauṣadhaṃ loke yattena na kṛtaṃ dvijāḥ | kuṣṭhagrastena vā dānaṃ yatra dattaṃ mahātmanā

Translation

Ô brāhmanes, il n’est point de remède en ce monde qu’il n’ait essayé ; et il n’est point d’aumône que ce grand d’âme, bien qu’atteint de lèpre, n’ait offerte.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• औषधम्: medicine; remedy
• औषधम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr-sambandha/Instrumental agent (by him/तेन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate within relative clause/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’

• द्विजाः: O brāhmaṇas
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Vocative address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि

• कुष्ठग्रस्तेन: by (him) afflicted with leprosy
• कुष्ठग्रस्तेन: Karana/Agent-instrument (by one afflicted/तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कुष्ठेन ग्रस्तः)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक-निपात)

• दानम्: gift; charity
• दानम्: Karma/Topic (Object/topic of ‘given’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate within relative clause/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana/Agent (Instrumental agent/कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing Dvijas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Despite visible suffering, the king performs dāna—placing gifts into the hands of brāhmaṇas and the needy; physicians’ herbs and vessels lie nearby, suggesting all treatments attempted, yet dharma continues.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnākṣa
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly remedies and even great charity may not remove karmic affliction; deeper purification and divine grace are also sought in tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues toward the kuṇḍa whose snāna-phala is said to remove diseases, surpassing ordinary treatments.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is referenced as widely practiced by the king even while ill, though no specific item/recipient is specified.