Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

दरिद्रेणापि दातव्यं हिरण्यशकलान्वितम् । तोयं तिलैर्युतं राजन्पितॄणां तुष्टिमिच्छता

Transliteration

daridreṇāpi dātavyaṃ hiraṇyaśakalānvitam | toyaṃ tilairyutaṃ rājanpitṝṇāṃ tuṣṭimicchatā

Translation

Même le pauvre doit offrir de l’eau mêlée de sésame, accompagnée de petits fragments d’or, s’il désire la satisfaction des Pitṛs, ô roi.

Word by Word

• दरिद्रेण: by a poor man
• दरिद्रेण: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Instr., Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; concessive)

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-कर्तव्यता (gerundive: 'to be given/should be given')

• हिरण्यशकलान्वितम्: endowed with pieces of gold
• हिरण्यशकलान्वितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्य + शकला + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; अन्वित = √इ (धातु) + क्त with anu-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—हिरण्य-शकला (gold-pieces) + अन्वित (endowed with)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Instr., Plural)

• युतम्: mixed/combined
• युतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Voc., Singular)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Gen., Plural)

• तुष्टिम्: satisfaction
• तुष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Acc., Singular)

• इच्छता: by one who desires
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √इष्/इच्छ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि (present active participle, Instr. Sg.: 'by one desiring')

Speaker

Unnamed narrator/teacher addressing a king (rājan)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor pilgrim, simply clothed, offers a small cup of sesame-water with a tiny gold flake, eyes closed in remembrance of ancestors; a compassionate priest accepts and blesses.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• tila (sesame)
• hiraṇya (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is inclusive: even with limited means, one can perform meaningful pitṛ-pleasing giving through simple, prescribed offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is tīrtha-centered in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse stresses universally applicable pitṛ-dāna rather than a specific place-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give sesame-mixed water (tilodaka) along with small pieces of gold for pitṛ-tuṣṭi.