Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा तेभ्यो वरान्नागान्ह याञ्जात्याननेकशः । सद्ग्रामाणि विचित्राणि क्षेत्राणि च सुधेनवः

Transliteration

dattvā tebhyo varānnāgānha yāñjātyānanekaśaḥ | sadgrāmāṇi vicitrāṇi kṣetrāṇi ca sudhenavaḥ

Translation

അവർ അവർക്കു ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ ഗജങ്ങളെയും അനേകം സുകുലജാത അശ്വങ്ങളെയും ദാനമായി നൽകി; കൂടാതെ നല്ല ഗ്രാമങ്ങൾ, വിവിധ ഭൂമി-ക്ഷേത്രങ്ങൾ, ഉത്തമ ദുഗ്ധധേനുക്കളും അർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः; धातु: दा (to give)

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया? (न), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• वरान्: excellent, choice
• वरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नागान्: elephants
• नागान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/indeclinable

• यान्: vehicles, conveyances
• यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• जात्यान्: of various kinds/classes
• जात्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (जाति-सम्बन्धिनः)

• अनेकशः: in many ways; repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकारवाचक

• सद्ग्रामाणि: good villages
• सद्ग्रामाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः: कर्मधारय (सत्-ग्रामाः = उत्तमग्रामाः)

• विचित्राणि: variegated, splendid
• विचित्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्षेत्राणि: fields/lands
• क्षेत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुधेनवः: excellent cows
• सुधेनवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (elliptic list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः: कर्मधारय (सु-धेनवः = उत्तमधेनवः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court or tīrtha precinct where a king ceremonially donates elephants, horses, villages, fields, and milch-cows to honored recipients (priests/guardians of the shrine), with attendants recording gifts and cows being led forward.

Characters & Entities

• Elephants
• Horses
• Villages
• Fields (kṣetra)
• Cows (dhenū)
• Brāhmaṇas (implied recipients)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened through substantial, welfare-oriented gifts—especially land and cows—offered in a tīrtha context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context of the chapter’s māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of high-value gifts: elephants, horses, villages, lands/fields, and milch-cows.