Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एतत्पुरं मया दत्तमेभिर्ग्रामैः समन्वितम् । एतेभ्यो ब्राह्मणेंद्रेभ्यः श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा

Transliteration

etatpuraṃ mayā dattamebhirgrāmaiḥ samanvitam | etebhyo brāhmaṇeṃdrebhyaḥ śraddhāpūtena cetasā

Translation

“ಈ ನಗರವನ್ನು ಈ ಗ್ರಾಮಗಳೊಡನೆ, ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯಿಂದ ಪವಿತ್ರವಾದ ಚಿತ್ತದಿಂದ ನಾನು ಈ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣೇಂದ್ರರಿಗೆ ದಾನವಾಗಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ।”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Instrumental singular pronoun)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Predicate object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; धातु √दा (दाने) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; 'given')

• एभिः: with these
• एभिः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• ग्रामैः: villages
• ग्रामैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/combined
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित (कृदन्त; धातु √इ (गत्यर्थे) उपसर्ग सम्+अनु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; 'endowed with')

• एतेभ्यः: to these
• एतेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन (Dative plural pronoun)

• ब्राह्मण: brahmins
• ब्राह्मण: Sambandha (Compound-member relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन (compound-member; Masculine, Dative, Plural)

• इन्द्रेभ्यः: to the foremost among brahmins
• इन्द्रेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (ब्राह्मणेन्द्र = ब्राह्मणानाम् इन्द्रः / ब्राह्मणेषु इन्द्रः) (Masculine, Dative, Plural)

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Sambandha (Compound-member relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन (compound-member; Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• पूतेन: purified by faith
• पूतेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत (कृदन्त; धातु √पू (पवने/शोधने) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (श्रद्धापूत = श्रद्धया पूतः) (Instrumental Singular)

• चेतसा: with mind/heart
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

King (mahīpati) issuing a formal statement of donation

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal declaration of donation: the donor gestures toward the city and villages symbolically (maps, soil, water-pot), Brahmin elders seated as recipients, witnesses present.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes spiritually potent when offered with śraddhā; faith purifies intention and stabilizes dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is a donated settlement (pura) within the broader tīrtha narrative; the verse itself highlights the sanctity of endowments.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal dāna: gifting a city along with villages to Brahmin recipients (brahmadeya-style endowment).