Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । अवश्यं यदि ते श्रद्धा विद्यते दानसंभवा । क्षेत्रेऽत्रापि महापुण्ये कृत्वा देहि पुरोत्तमम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | avaśyaṃ yadi te śraddhā vidyate dānasaṃbhavā | kṣetre'trāpi mahāpuṇye kṛtvā dehi purottamam

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണർ പറഞ്ഞു— ദാനമായി പരിപാകമാകുന്ന സത്യശ്രദ്ധ നിനക്കുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, ഈ മഹാപുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ഒരു ഉത്തമപുരം പണിതു ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് ദാനമായി നൽകുക.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• अवश्यम्: certainly, necessarily
• अवश्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of necessity)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Hetu/Condition (हेतु/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• श्रद्धा: faith, intention
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्यते: exists, is present
• विद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु) (सत्तायाम्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• दानसंभवा: arising from giving (charity-born)
• दानसंभवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (भू धातु + घञ्/अच्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण श्रद्धा इति

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• महापुण्ये: in the very meritorious (place)
• महापुण्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापुण्य (प्रातिपदिक: महा + पुण्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण क्षेत्रे इति

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुरोत्तमम्: the best town/city
• पुरोत्तमम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas respectfully petition the king: ‘If your faith is real, build and grant us a fine town here.’ The sacred landscape suggests a tīrtha network nearby.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Puṇya-kṣetra (sacred region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True faith becomes constructive charity—supporting dharma through enduring institutions like protected sacred settlements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse explicitly calls the locale a mahā-puṇya kṣetra within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna-based prescription: build and donate an excellent town/settlement for the brāhmaṇas in the sacred region.