Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

न यच्छति तथा दानं न च तीर्थं निषेवते । केवलं कुरुते स्नानं लिंगभेदे समाहितः

Transliteration

na yacchati tathā dānaṃ na ca tīrthaṃ niṣevate | kevalaṃ kurute snānaṃ liṃgabhede samāhitaḥ

Translation

Il ne fait pas l’aumône selon le dharma et ne fréquente pas correctement le tīrtha ; il ne fait que se baigner, l’esprit fixé sur des distinctions sectaires d’emblèmes.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात

• यच्छति: gives
• यच्छति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; दानार्थे (to give)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in that manner/likewise)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: “and”)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place/sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• निषेवते: resorts to/visits
• निषेवते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: “only/merely”)

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• लिङ्गभेदे: in the distinction of signs/sex
• लिङ्गभेदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (liṅgasya bhedaḥ = distinction of marks/sex)

• समाहितः: composed/attentive
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (of the implied subject: he)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bather performing quick snāna while arguing about sectarian emblems; nearby, a poor supplicant is ignored; the tīrtha’s sanctity contrasts with human pettiness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer signs and mere bathing are insufficient; dharma is fulfilled through charity, reverent tīrtha practice, and sincere intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within the Hāṭakeśvara tīrtha/kṣetra narrative of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charity), tīrtha-niṣevā (reverent resorting to the sacred place), and snāna (ritual bathing) are contrasted—implying all should be properly integrated.