Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मेधावी जायते मर्त्यो दानस्यास्य प्रभावतः । इत्थंभूता महाराज कृत्वा राज्यमकण्टकम्

Transliteration

medhāvī jāyate martyo dānasyāsya prabhāvataḥ | itthaṃbhūtā mahārāja kṛtvā rājyamakaṇṭakam

Translation

Melalui kemanjuran dāna ini, seorang insan fana terlahir dengan kecerdasan tajam. Demikianlah, wahai mahārāja, setelah menegakkan kerajaan yang bebas dari duri (rintangan dan musuh)…

Word by Word

• मेधावी: intelligent, wise
• मेधावी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेधाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• जायते: is born, arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दानस्य: of the gift/charity
• दानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• प्रभावतः: due to the power/effect
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• इत्थंभूताः: such (people), of this kind
• इत्थंभूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इत्थंभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + राजा (कर्मधारय)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले (prior action)

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अकण्टकम्: free from thorns/obstacles
• अकण्टकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; continuing the phala of pṛthvī-dāna)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahārāja (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king receives counsel: the sage’s blessing transforms into symbols of wisdom (open scripture) and orderly governance (peaceful city, guarded roads), representing ‘akāṇṭaka’ rule.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meritorious giving is linked not only to wealth but to medhā (clear intellect) and stable governance—dharma shaping both mind and realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in the Gautameśvara Māhātmya of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Nāgara-khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The passage continues the praise of pṛthvī-dāna; the ‘akaṇṭaka-rājya’ is stated as a fruit of such tīrtha-connected charity.