Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

दानधर्मप्रवृत्तानां धर्ममार्गा नुयायिनाम् । प्रोत्साहं वर्धयेद्यस्तु न प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

dānadharmapravṛttānāṃ dharmamārgā nuyāyinām | protsāhaṃ vardhayedyastu na preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

यः दानधर्मप्रवृत्तानां धर्ममार्गानुयायिनां च प्रोत्साहं वर्धयति—स नरः प्रेतत्वं न प्राप्नोति।

Word by Word

• dānadharmapravṛttānām: of those engaged in charity and dharma
• dānadharmapravṛttānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + pravṛtta (कृदन्त; प्र+वृत् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘प्रवृत्त’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दानधर्मे प्रवृत्ताः)

• dharmamārgānuyāyinām: of followers of the path of dharma
• dharmamārgānuyāyinām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक) + anuyāyin (प्रातिपदिक; अनु+या (धातु) णिनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धर्ममार्गम् अनुयायिनः = followers of the path of dharma)

• protsāham: enthusiasm, encouragement
• protsāham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: protsāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vardhayet: should increase, should promote
• vardhayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should increase’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पदार्थ-विशेषक/अवधारण/विरोधार्थक particle)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• pretaḥ: a preta
• pretaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A community scene: donors distribute gifts while a respected elder encourages them, placing a supportive hand on a giver’s shoulder; nearby, a scribe records offerings and the poor receive with gratitude—emphasis on moral encouragement.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not only doing good, but strengthening goodness in others is praised as a powerful dharmic contribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the focus is on community dharma that sustains tīrtha-centered religious life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A social-ethical prescription: actively encourage and support practitioners of dāna and dharma.