Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तथा मे संख्यया हीनं धान्यं गोजाविकं महत् । भविष्यति कथं हीनं मयाभीष्टैस्तु रक्षितम्

Transliteration

tathā me saṃkhyayā hīnaṃ dhānyaṃ gojāvikaṃ mahat | bhaviṣyati kathaṃ hīnaṃ mayābhīṣṭaistu rakṣitam

Translation

അതുപോലെ എന്റെ മഹത്തായ സംഭരണങ്ങൾ—ധാന്യം, പശുക്കൾ, ആട്-ചെമ്മരിയാട് കൂട്ടങ്ങൾ—എണ്ണത്തിൽ കുറയും; ഞാൻ എന്റെ വിശ്വസ്തരാൽ കാത്തത് എങ്ങനെ ക്ഷയിക്കും?

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• संख्यया: by number/count
• संख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• हीनम्: deficient
• हीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• धान्यम्: grain
• धान्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोजाविकम्: of cattle and sheep/goats
• गोजाविकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो + जाविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण; अर्थः: गो-सम्बन्धि च अजाविक-सम्बन्धि च (cattle-and-sheep/goat related)

• महत्: great/large
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• भविष्यति: will become/will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb: how?)

• हीनम्: deficient
• हीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभीष्टैः: with desired (means/arrangements)
• अभीष्टैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• रक्षितम्: protected
• रक्षितम्: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unnamed king (rājā) lamenting consequences of a curse (śāpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Granaries and cattle-pens appear in the mind’s eye: heaps of grain, cows and small ruminants; the king fears their dwindling despite prior safeguarding.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha (implied by later verses)
• Vāsiṣṭhas (implied by later verses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material abundance (grain and cattle) is not ultimate; it can fade when dharma is disrupted and destiny turns.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative context within the larger tīrtha-glorification chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is descriptive and reflective, not prescriptive.