Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वर्षा काले वस्त्रदश्च बभूवान्नप्रदः सदा । वापीकूपतडागादिप्रपादेवगृहाणि च

Transliteration

varṣā kāle vastradaśca babhūvānnapradaḥ sadā | vāpīkūpataḍāgādiprapādevagṛhāṇi ca

Translation

മഴക്കാലത്ത് അവൻ വസ്ത്രദാനി ആയിരുന്നു; എപ്പോഴും അന്നദാനി കൂടെ. കൂടാതെ കിണറുകൾ, കുളം/തടാകങ്ങൾ, ജലശാലകൾ, ദേവാലയങ്ങൾ, വിശ്രമഗൃഹങ്ങൾ എന്നിവയും പണിയിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वर्षाकाले: in the rainy season
• वर्षाकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वर्षायाः काले)

• वस्त्रदः: giver of clothes
• वस्त्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु, क्विप्/कृदर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रं ददाति इति)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बभूव: he became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अन्नप्रदः: giver of food
• अन्नप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु, उपसर्गः प्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अन्नं प्रददाति इति)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• वापी: wells/stepwells (vāpīs)
• वापी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे समुच्चयार्थे पदान्ते समासपूर्वपद)

• कूप: wells
• कूप: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• तडाग: ponds
• तडाग: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-परिगणनार्थक अव्यय (etc.)

• प्रपाः: water-sheds/drinking places
• प्रपाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• देवगृहाणि: temples (houses of the gods)
• देवगृहाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां गृहाणि)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (Tīrthamāhātmya narrator voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon clouds gather as the patron distributes garments; nearby artisans dig a well and carve a stepwell; a pond embankment and a water-shed stand beside a newly raised small temple and a travelers’ rest-house.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma combines daily charity (food, clothing) with pūrta works that benefit society—water sources, shelters, and temples.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse highlights the tīrtha-spirit of service (waterworks and temples) rather than naming a single location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vastra-dāna in the rainy season, anna-dāna always, and undertaking pūrta works like wells, ponds, prapā (water stations), and deva-gṛha (temples).