Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तुलापुरुषदानं च तत्र राजन्प्रशश्यते । य इच्छेच्चक्रवर्तित्वं समस्ते धरणीतले

Transliteration

tulāpuruṣadānaṃ ca tatra rājanpraśaśyate | ya iccheccakravartitvaṃ samaste dharaṇītale

Translation

Ô Roi, en ce lieu le don appelé Tulāpuruṣa-dāna est tout particulièrement exalté—pour quiconque désire la souveraineté universelle sur toute la terre.

Word by Word

• तुलापुरुषदानम्: the Tulāpuruṣa donation (weighing a person and giving equivalent)
• तुलापुरुषदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (तुलया पुरुषस्य दानम् / तुलापुरुष-नामकं दानम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश-अर्थे (there/in that place)

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

• प्रशस्यते: is praised/commended
• प्रशस्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-भावे (is praised)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun)

• इच्छेत्: would desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम/मध्यम-पुरुष?; अत्र यः (3rd sg) अपेक्षितः, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• चक्रवर्तित्वम्: emperorship/sovereignty
• चक्रवर्तित्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रवर्तित्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समस्ते: entire
• समस्ते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धरणीतले: on the earth's surface
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम् = surface of the earth)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (deduced from immediate dialogue context in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Ānarta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage extols Tulāpuruṣa-dāna at the holy place: a king is weighed on a balance against gold/wealth to be donated; the shrine of Śiva witnesses the act.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed according to renowned tīrtha-rites is celebrated as a dharmic means to great prosperity and rulership, aligning power with merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to “there” (tatra), i.e., the tīrtha described in Adhyāya 267 of Nāgara Khaṇḍa; the precise name is in the surrounding narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tulāpuruṣa-dāna—making a donation equivalent to the donor’s weight—is recommended and praised.