Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

प्रपादानं तथा चक्रे ग्रीष्मकाले विशेषतः । त्यक्त्वान्याः सकला याश्च क्रिया धर्मसमुद्भवाः

Transliteration

prapādānaṃ tathā cakre grīṣmakāle viśeṣataḥ | tyaktvānyāḥ sakalā yāśca kriyā dharmasamudbhavāḥ

Translation

Baginda juga mendirikan tempat rehat dan pemberian air (prapā), khususnya pada musim panas. Dengan mengetepikan amalan kebajikan lain yang bersumber daripada dharma, baginda menumpukan diri pada khidmat ini.

Word by Word

• prapādānam: foot-washing/foot-service (prapādāna)
• prapādānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prapādāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• tathā: thus, in that manner
• tathā: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner-adverb (तथावाचक)

• cakre: did, performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada; 3rd sg perfect

• grīṣmakāle: in the summer season
• grīṣmakāle: Adhikarana (Location/Time-आधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grīṣma-kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular masculine; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ग्रीष्मस्य कालः)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially, particularly
• viśeṣataḥ: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphasis-adverb (विशेषेण)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल; having abandoned

• anyāḥ: other (ones)
• anyāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine; विशेषण (क्रीयाः)

• sakalāḥ: all, entire
• sakalāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine; विशेषण (क्रीयाः)

• yāḥ: which
• yāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; relative pronoun; accusative plural feminine (referring to kriyāḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• kriyāḥ: ritual acts, actions
• kriyāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine

• dharmasamudbhavāḥ: arising from dharma
• dharmasamudbhavāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural feminine; विशेषण (क्रीयाः); समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मात् समुद्भवाः)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A righteous king orders the building of prapās: shaded pavilions with pots of cool water, attendants offering cups to weary pilgrims under a blazing summer sun; travelers, sādhus, and villagers gather gratefully.

Characters & Entities

• Satyasena
• prapā (water-station)
• summer (grīṣma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Relieving thirst is exalted dharma; compassionate public service—especially in harsh seasons—becomes a high form of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse praises a dharmic practice commonly linked with tīrtha-merit: providing water for travelers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prapā-dāna (establishing/free distribution of water), particularly in summer—an applied form of jala-dāna (water charity).