Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

वापीकूपतडागानि देवतायतनानि च । यः करोति नरो नित्यं नरकं न स पश्यति

Transliteration

vāpīkūpataḍāgāni devatāyatanāni ca | yaḥ karoti naro nityaṃ narakaṃ na sa paśyati

Translation

Sesiapa yang sentiasa membina telaga, perigi bertangga dan kolam, serta mendirikan kuil bagi para dewa—orang itu tidak akan melihat neraka.

Word by Word

• वापी: a well/stepwell
• वापी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समाहारार्थे सूचीकरण)

• कूप: a well
• कूप: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समाहारार्थे सूचीकरण)

• तडागानि: ponds
• तडागानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देवतायतनानि: temples of deities
• देवतायतनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवतायाः आयतनानि = temples/shrines of deities)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• करोति: makes/builds/does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yama (contextual, continuing instruction in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General audience within the discourse (brāhmaṇa addressee implied by surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Workers carve a stepwell with ornate pillars; a donor offers a kalasha for consecration; nearby a new temple rises with a fluttering dhvaja; travelers drink and rest, while Yama’s threat fades into the background.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Devatā (the Deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating water-sources and deity-temples is a high public dharma that yields great puṇya and protects from naraka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-supporting works (water infrastructure and temples) in general rather than a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establishing vāpīs, kūpas, taḍāgas (waterworks) and devatāyatanas (temples/shrines).