Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

सप्तजन्मांतरं यावत्प्रकरोति न संशयः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र देया मही नृप

Transliteration

saptajanmāṃtaraṃ yāvatprakaroti na saṃśayaḥ | tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra deyā mahī nṛpa

Translation

Son effet se prolonge jusqu’à sept existences — sans aucun doute. C’est pourquoi, ô roi, avec tous les efforts, il faut y offrir la terre en don.

Word by Word

• सप्तजन्मान्तरम्: seven intervening births
• सप्तजन्मान्तरम्: Karma/Avadhi (Extent/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + जन्मान्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—सप्त (संख्या) + जन्मान्तर (द्विगु)

• यावत्: as long as, up to
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक

• प्रकरोति: accomplishes, effects
• प्रकरोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रकृ (धातु; प्र + √कृ)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वः प्रयत्नः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावे)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• देया: should be given
• देया: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय/कर्तव्य-अर्थे (gerundive, 'to be given')

• मही: land, earth
• मही: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; imperative instruction to the king within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautameśvara (in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (dvijāḥ) / additionally the addressed ‘king’ within the narrated episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal figure resolves to donate land at the sacred shrine; scribes and priests prepare the formal grant while the liṅga stands as witness, suggesting a vow spanning seven births.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma performed at a sanctified locus is amplified—its merit is portrayed as spanning many births and thus worthy of wholehearted effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction ‘tatra’ refers to the Gautameśvara setting inside Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Nāgara-khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction: donate land (mahī-dāna/pṛthvī-dāna) specifically at that tīrtha.