Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

असंख्याता कृता वृत्तिः पुराऽस्माकं महात्मना । ततः सा वृद्धिमानीता तत्परैः पार्थिवोत्तमैः

Transliteration

asaṃkhyātā kṛtā vṛttiḥ purā'smākaṃ mahātmanā | tataḥ sā vṛddhimānītā tatparaiḥ pārthivottamaiḥ

Translation

മുമ്പ് ഒരു മഹാത്മ ദാതാവ് ഞങ്ങളുടെ പോഷണത്തിനായി അളവറ്റ വൃത്തി സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; പിന്നെ അതേ ലക്ഷ്യത്തിൽ നിഷ്ഠരായ ഉത്തമ രാജാക്കന്മാർ അതിനെ കൂടുതൽ വർധിപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• असंख्याता: countless
• असंख्याता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कृता: was made/established
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वृत्तिः’ इत्यस्य विधेय

• वृत्तिः: maintenance/allowance
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘our’

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Kartr-karana (Agent in instrumental/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Krama (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतु-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• सा: that (allowance)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृद्धिम्: increase
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आनीता: was brought/led to
• आनीता: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सा’ इत्यस्य विधेय

• तत्परैः: by those devoted to that
• तत्परैः: Karana/Agent-marker (Instrumental of agents)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘in that devoted’)

• पार्थिवोत्तमैः: by the best kings
• पार्थिवोत्तमैः: Karana/Agent-marker (Instrumental of agents)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘best among kings’)

Speaker

Unspecified (likely community/brāhmaṇa voice within the tīrtha narrative, reporting to the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative flashback implied: a great patron establishes vast provisions; later kings add to it. In the present, brāhmaṇas recount this lineage of generosity before the king.

Characters & Entities

• pārthivottama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting sacred institutions through stable endowments is praised as a continuing royal duty, carried forward by successive righteous kings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context glorifies a tīrtha-region; this verse specifically highlights patronage rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied dāna (charitable endowment) in the form of vṛtti/grants; no detailed rite is specified.