Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तेनेष्टं विपुलैर्यज्ञैः सुवर्णवरदक्षिणैः । असंख्यातानि दानानि प्रदत्तानि महात्मना

Transliteration

teneṣṭaṃ vipulairyajñaiḥ suvarṇavaradakṣiṇaiḥ | asaṃkhyātāni dānāni pradattāni mahātmanā

Translation

ആ മഹാത്മാവ് വിപുലമായ യജ്ഞങ്ങൾ നടത്തി, സ്വർണ്ണമായ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദക്ഷിണകൾ നൽകി; കൂടാതെ അസംഖ്യ ദാനങ്ങളും അർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इष्टम्: sacrifice was performed
• इष्टम्: Kriya-bhava (Act/result/क्रियाभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used nominally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यज्ञः कृतः’ अर्थे

• विपुलैः: abundant, great
• विपुलैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (यज्ञैः)

• यज्ञैः: with sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सुवर्णवरदक्षिणैः: with excellent gold (as) fees/gifts
• सुवर्णवरदक्षिणैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण + वर + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘दक्षिणा’ आधारः; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुवर्णं वरं च यस्याः सा दक्षिणा) विशेषण (यज्ञैः)

• असंख्यातानि: countless
• असंख्यातानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (दानानि)

• दानानि: gifts, donations
• दानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रदत्तानि: given, bestowed
• प्रदत्तानि: Kriya-bhava (Result state/क्रियाभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (दानानि)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Kartr-karana (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king conducts grand sacrifices with golden dakṣiṇā; priests receive gifts; heaps of gold and cows are arranged; the scene radiates orderly dharma and prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Saudāsa
• Yajña
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and sacrifice are pillars of dharma; they build merit, yet do not eliminate the need for repentance when grave faults occur.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the verse establishes Saudāsa’s dharmic character before the tīrtha-based purification account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña with dakṣiṇā (fees) and extensive dāna (charitable giving) are described as his practices.