Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शाकप्रदाता नरकं यमलोकं न पश्यति । वस्त्रदः सोमलोकं च वसेदाभूतसंप्लवम्

Transliteration

śākapradātā narakaṃ yamalokaṃ na paśyati | vastradaḥ somalokaṃ ca vasedābhūtasaṃplavam

Translation

ശാകദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ നരകമോ യമലോകമോ കാണുകയില്ല. വസ്ത്രദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ മഹാപ്രളയം വരെയും സോമലോകത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शाकप्रदाता: one who gives vegetables
• शाकप्रदाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (giver of vegetables)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यमलोकम्: Yama’s realm
• यमलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Yama's world)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वस्त्रदः: giver of clothes
• वस्त्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (giver of clothes)

• सोमलोकम्: Soma’s world
• सोमलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वसेत्: would dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• आभूतसंप्लवम्: until the cosmic dissolution
• आभूतसंप्लवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + संप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (आ + भूत = 'until it happens/comes to be')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-part tableau: (1) donor giving baskets of vegetables, with Yama’s dark realm receding/blocked; (2) donor offering garments, with a luminous Soma-loka (moon-world) above, cool and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practical charities that sustain life and dignity—food and clothing—carry powerful otherworldly rewards and protection from suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it functions as a general dāna-phala teaching within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate vegetables and donate clothing; these are praised as leading to freedom from Yama’s realm and residence in Somaloka.