Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

अनेन विधिना दत्त्वा तांबूलं शुद्धिमाप्नुयात् । कुतांबूलस्य दोषेण गृह्यते न नरो नृप

Transliteration

anena vidhinā dattvā tāṃbūlaṃ śuddhimāpnuyāt | kutāṃbūlasya doṣeṇa gṛhyate na naro nṛpa

Translation

ഈ വിധിപ്രകാരം താംബൂലം ദാനം ചെയ്താൽ ശുദ്ധി ലഭിക്കും. ഹേ നൃപാ! കുതാംബൂലത്തിന്റെ ദോഷം മൂലം മനുഷ്യൻ ഗ്രഹിക്കപ്പെടുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• anena: by this
• anena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (by this)

• vidhinā: by the prescribed method
• vidhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (by the rule/method)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having given)

• tāṃbūlam: betel (tāmbūla)
• tāṃbūlam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāṃbūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of giving)

• śuddhim: purification
• śuddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object attained)

• āpnuyāt: should obtain
• āpnuyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; फलप्राप्तिः (should obtain)

• ku-tāṃbūlasya: of impure betel
• ku-tāṃbūlasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ku (पूर्वपद) + tāṃbūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धः (of bad betel)

• doṣeṇa: by the fault
• doṣeṇa: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु (by/owing to the fault)

• gṛhyate: is taken/affected
• gṛhyate: Kriya (Passive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is seized/affected)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (not)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता (person)

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन (O king)

Speaker

Skanda (summarizing the fruit of the rite to the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a ritual authority demonstrates the correct way to offer tāmbūla; a clean offering tray, water pot, and sacred thread emphasize procedural purity.

Characters & Entities

• Rājan (King)
• Tāmbūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right method (vidhi) transforms an act into a purifier; dharma neutralizes doṣa through proper atonement and giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha-name is specified in this verse; it states the general efficacy (phala) of the rite within the māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give tāmbūla according to the stated procedure to obtain śuddhi and avoid the doṣa of improper tāmbūla.