Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ततः संपूजयेद्विप्रं भोजनाच्छादनादिभिः । दत्त्वाथ दक्षिणां तस्मै वित्तशाठ्यं विवर्जयेत्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃpūjayedvipraṃ bhojanācchādanādibhiḥ | dattvātha dakṣiṇāṃ tasmai vittaśāṭhyaṃ vivarjayet

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ ഭോജനവും വസ്ത്രാദികളും നൽകി ആദരിക്കണം; അവനു ദക്ഷിണ നൽകി ധനകാര്യത്തിൽ കഞ്ഞത്തവും വഞ്ചനയും ഒഴിവാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्’ (thereafter)

• संपूजयेत्: should honor/worship
• संपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) उपसर्गः सम्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; सकर्मकः

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• भोजन: food/feeding
• भोजन: Instrument (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• आच्छादन: clothing/covering
• आच्छादन: Instrument (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आच्छादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• आदिभिः: and other such (things)
• आदिभिः: Instrument (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्; ‘आदि’ = ‘and the like’

• भोजन-आच्छादन-आदिभिः: with food, clothing, and the like
• भोजन-आच्छादन-आदिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन + आच्छादन + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective copulative); तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having given’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक) — ‘then/thereupon’

• दक्षिणाम्: a fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), चतुर्थी (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्

• वित्त: wealth/money
• वित्त: Qualifier (Upapada/उपपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• शाठ्यम्: deceit/cheating
• शाठ्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• वित्तशाठ्यम्: deceit regarding money
• वित्तशाठ्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) = ‘वित्तस्य शाठ्यम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) उपसर्गः वि
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; सकर्मकः

Speaker

Narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (deduced; instructional style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After worship, the pilgrim respectfully serves a brāhmaṇa: offering a meal, presenting cloth, and placing dakṣiṇā in his hand with sincerity; the setting remains within the temple/tīrtha precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and worship should be completed with generosity; dharma is fulfilled when devotion is joined to charity and integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general dharmic injunction within the Śivarātri/vow context; no specific tīrtha is named in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed and clothe a brāhmaṇa and give dakṣiṇā, explicitly avoiding miserliness or cheating in giving.