Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सत्यंसत्यं हि देवर्षे मयोक्तं तव नारद । जन्मांतरसहस्रेषु नादत्तमुपतिष्ठते

Transliteration

satyaṃsatyaṃ hi devarṣe mayoktaṃ tava nārada | janmāṃtarasahasreṣu nādattamupatiṣṭhate

Translation

Vérité, vérité en vérité, ô sage divin ! Nārada, ce que je t’ai dit demeure ferme : à travers des milliers de naissances, ce qui n’est pas donné en aumône ne vient pas en soutien.

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः (emphatic repetition)

• सत्यम्: truth (indeed)
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• हि: indeed, surely
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• देवर्षे: O divine sage
• देवर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• उक्तम्: said/spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तव: to you/for you
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• जन्मान्तरसहस्रेषु: in thousands of other births
• जन्मान्तरसहस्रेषु: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (janmāntarāṇāṃ sahasreṣu)

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

• आदत्तम्: (that which is) not given
• आदत्तम्: Karta (Logical subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उपतिष्ठते: does not present itself/does not accrue
• उपतिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator speaking to Devarṣi Nārada (explicit)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage solemnly assures Nārada with a raised hand of truth; behind them a pilgrim’s path and a simple act of giving is hinted—symbolizing that charity alone becomes lasting support across births.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Only what one gives becomes enduring spiritual capital; ungiven wealth offers no rescue across repeated births.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse emphasizes karmic continuity and the enduring fruit of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general insistence on giving—establishing dāna as a lifelong and multi-life dharma.