Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

वार्यपि श्रद्धया दत्तमनंतत्वाय कल्पते । चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण श्रद्धया पूयते नरः

Transliteration

vāryapi śraddhayā dattamanaṃtatvāya kalpate | cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa śraddhayā pūyate naraḥ

Translation

ജലം പോലും ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ദാനം ചെയ്താൽ അത് അനന്ത പുണ്യത്തിന് കാരണമാകുന്നു. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ ശ്രദ്ധയാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ശുദ്ധനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वारि: water
• वारि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अत्र ‘अपि’ सह—‘even water’ अर्थे)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; अपि = even/also)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वारि)

• अनन्तत्वाय: for eternity/immortality
• अनन्तत्वाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्तत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the sake of)

• कल्पते: is conducive/serves
• कल्पते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अर्थ: ‘समर्थं भवति/उपपद्यते’ (is fit/serves)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya (four-month period)
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (चातुर् + मास्य = of four months); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial instrumental) = especially

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूयते: is purified
• पूयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense) = ‘is purified’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a tīrtha offers a small pot of water with folded hands during the rainy-season Cāturmāsya; sages bless him, and a subtle aura of purification surrounds the donor.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simplicity in offering is sanctified by faith; even the smallest gift becomes spiritually vast when given with śraddhā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the emphasis is on Cāturmāsya observance and the principle of faith.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give even water as dāna with faith, with special emphasis during the Cāturmāsya period.