Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यथा तुष्टिं समभ्येति ततः पापं नयत्यसौ । तस्मिन्कृते महाराज प्रत्ययस्तत्क्षणाद्भवेत्

Transliteration

yathā tuṣṭiṃ samabhyeti tataḥ pāpaṃ nayatyasau | tasminkṛte mahārāja pratyayastatkṣaṇādbhavet

Translation

ଯେତେବେଳେ ସେ (ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ/ଗ୍ରାହକ) ସନ୍ତୁଷ୍ଟ ହୁଏ, ସେତେବେଳେ ସେ ପାପକୁ ଦୂରେ ନେଇଯାଏ। ଏହା ହେଲେ, ହେ ମହାରାଜ, ସେହି କ୍ଷଣରେ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଜନ୍ମେ।

Word by Word

• यथा: as/so that
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/standard)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• तुष्टिम्: satisfaction
• तुष्टिम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समभ्येति: attains
• समभ्येति: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√i (सम्+इ—गत्यर्थे) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तर (thereupon)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• नयति: leads away/removes
• नयति: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (नी—नयने) (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• असौ: he/that one
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (act/occasion)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative circumstance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

• कृते: when it is done
• कृते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ—करणे) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (PPP) ‘कृत’; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (locative absolute sense)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-rājan (महā + rājan) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् राजा)

• प्रत्ययः: conviction/assurance
• प्रत्ययः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apādāna (Source/starting point)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat-kṣaṇa (तत् + क्षण) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्मात् क्षणात्)

• भवेत्: would arise/become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू—सत्तायाम्) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic teacher addressing a King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahārāja / rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa smiles gently in satisfaction, blessing the donor; a symbolic stream of dark impurity departs with him, while the donor stands serene—signifying immediate certainty of purification.

Characters & Entities

• mahārāja
• brāhmaṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purity-giving power of dāna is confirmed when the recipient is truly satisfied, producing immediate inner certainty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in a tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this verse emphasizes the rite’s effect rather than naming a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ensure the recipient’s satisfaction; this is presented as the condition by which sin is ‘carried away’ and the result becomes evident.