Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

घृतक्षीर महानद्यो दानार्थं वित्तराशयः । एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तः कश्चिज्ज्ञानी द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

ghṛtakṣīra mahānadyo dānārthaṃ vittarāśayaḥ | etasminnaṃtare prāptaḥ kaścijjñānī dvijottamāḥ

Translation

നെയ്യും പാലും മഹാനദികളായി ഒഴുകുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നി; ദാനാർത്ഥം ധനരാശികളുടെ കൂമ്പാരങ്ങൾ ഒരുക്കിയിരുന്നു. അതിനിടയിൽ, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, ഒരു ജ്ഞാനി പുരുഷൻ അവിടെ എത്തിച്ചേർന്നു।

Word by Word

• घृतक्षीर: ghee and milk
• घृतक्षीर: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (घृतं च क्षीरं च)

• महानद्यः: great rivers
• महानद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती नदी)

• दानार्थम्: for the purpose of giving (charity)
• दानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजनवाचक); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दानस्य अर्थः)

• वित्तराशयः: heaps of wealth
• वित्तराशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वित्तस्य राशिः)

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्तरे: in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: arrived
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘प्राप्त’ = arrived

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानी: a knower, wise man
• ज्ञानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमः: best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमः)

Speaker

Sūta (continuation of Sūta uvāca frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual ground at a tīrtha: shimmering streams imagined as ghee and milk, piles of gold and cloth arranged for charity; priests and donors gathered; a serene, radiant jñānī brāhmaṇa arrives at the edge of the assembly.

Characters & Entities

• dāna
• ghṛta (ghee)
• kṣīra (milk)
• jñānī (wise man)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sacred prosperity is meant for dāna; abundance becomes dharma when directed toward charity and hospitality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative frame, describing the sacred-yajña environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable distribution) supported by ritual abundance (ghee, milk, wealth) as part of the yajña setting.