Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता मृत्युं प्राप्तोऽस्म्यहं द्विजाः । तद्दानस्य प्रभावेन पार्थिवीं योनिमाश्रितः

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā mṛtyuṃ prāpto'smyahaṃ dvijāḥ | taddānasya prabhāvena pārthivīṃ yonimāśritaḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട് ഏറെ കാലം കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ, ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ, എനിക്ക് മരണം സംഭവിച്ചു. എന്നാൽ ആ ദാനത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവംകൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ വീണ്ടും ഭൂമിയിലെ ജന്മം പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (adverb)

• कालेन: by time, with time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Instr. Sg.)

• महता: great, long (in duration)
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masc., Instr. Sg.; adjective)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Acc. Sg.)

• प्राप्तः: (I) reached/attained
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि भावे ‘having reached’ (PPP used actively, Masc. Nom. Sg.)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present, 1st person, Sg.)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Nom. Sg.)

• द्विजाः: O brahmins
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (Masc., Nom. Pl.; vocative sense)

• तद्दानस्य: of that gift/charity
• तद्दानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्दान (प्रातिपदिक; तत् + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neut., Gen. Sg.)

• प्रभावेन: by the power/effect
• प्रभावेन: Karana (Cause/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Instr. Sg.)

• पार्थिवीम्: earthly
• पार्थिवीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Fem., Acc. Sg.; adjective)

• योनिम्: womb, birth-state
• योनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Fem., Acc. Sg.)

• आश्रितः: resorted to, entered
• आश्रितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि भावे ‘having resorted to’ (PPP used actively, Masc. Nom. Sg.)

Speaker

An unnamed narrator (a king/householder figure) addressing brāhmaṇas; specific name not given in this excerpt

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker narrates: after a long time he died, yet the power of that single gift carried him into a favorable human/earthly rebirth.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after death, the fruit of dāna (charitable giving) follows the soul and shapes future destiny and rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya passage, but this single line does not name the tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable gift) is highlighted as spiritually potent, yielding posthumous benefit.