Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तीर्थोदकैः श्रद्धया च मनसा समुपाहृतैः । अश्रद्धया रत्नराशिः प्रदत्तो निष्फलो भवेत्

Transliteration

tīrthodakaiḥ śraddhayā ca manasā samupāhṛtaiḥ | aśraddhayā ratnarāśiḥ pradatto niṣphalo bhavet

Translation

Les offrandes faites avec l’eau de tīrtha, recueillie et présentée avec śraddhā et l’élan du cœur, portent du fruit; mais même un amas de joyaux donné sans foi devient stérile.

Word by Word

• तीर्थ-उदकैः: with sacred waters
• तीर्थ-उदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (तीर्थोदक = holy-place water); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-संबन्ध/Conjunction)

• मनसा: with (one's) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुपाहृतैः: duly brought/obtained
• समुपाहृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-आ-√हृ (धातु) → उपाहृत (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुं/नपुं समरूप; विशेषण (तीर्थोदकैः इत्यादि साधनैः ‘समुपाहृतैः’ = duly brought/obtained)

• अश्रद्धया: without faith
• अश्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्यय (negation)

• रत्न-राशिः: a heap of gems
• रत्न-राशिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (रत्नराशि = heap of gems); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• प्रदत्तः: given
• प्रदत्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√दा (धातु) → प्रदत्त (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (रत्नराशिः)

• निष्फलः: fruitless
• निष्फलः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (निष्फल = fruitless); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (रत्नराशिः)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting offerings: a humble devotee offers a small vessel of tīrtha-water with folded hands and radiant sincerity; beside, a wealthy patron presents jewels with distracted pride—yet the divine attention rests on the faithful offering.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śraddhā (faithful intent) is the true source of spiritual efficacy; material quantity alone does not guarantee merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha in general is praised; this verse does not identify a single named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gather and present tīrtha-water offerings with faith and focused mind; avoid performing dāna mechanically or without śraddhā.