Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

ममैवानुग्रहार्थाय दयां कृत्वा बृहत्तराम् । दीनस्य भक्तियुक्तस्य विरक्तस्य विशेषतः

Transliteration

mamaivānugrahārthāya dayāṃ kṛtvā bṛhattarām | dīnasya bhaktiyuktasya viraktasya viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ममैवानुग्रहार्थाय दयां कृत्वा बृहत्तराम्। दीनस्य भक्तियुक्तस्य विरक्तस्य विशेषतः॥

Word by Word

• मम: of me; my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात-अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• अनुग्रहार्थाय: for (my) favor; for granting grace
• अनुग्रहार्थाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुग्रह + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of)

• दयाम्: compassion
• दयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done; having shown
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having done)

• बृहत्तराम्: greater; more abundant
• बृहत्तराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत्तरा (प्रातिपदिक; बृहत्-तरा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative); विशेषणम् (दयाम्)

• दीनस्य: of the poor; of the wretched
• दीनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मम implied)

• भक्तियुक्तस्य: of one endowed with devotion
• भक्तियुक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + युक्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विरक्तस्य: of the detached
• विरक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरक्त (प्रातिपदिक; वि+रञ्ज्→क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष-तस्)
• Form: प्रकार/अधिक्यवाचक-अव्यय (especially)

Speaker

King (Rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humbled king, now ‘dīna’, bows before brāhmaṇas at the tīrtha, hands folded, requesting greater compassion so that he may receive grace; his posture contrasts with former royal bearing.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace is invited through humility and compassion—especially by honoring devotion and detachment rather than mere worldly status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya frames the dialogue in a sacred landscape where acts of dayā and dāna become spiritually intensified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse stresses the inner disposition (dayā, bhakti, vairāgya) behind religious giving.