Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सुवर्णं रजतं वाऽथ वस्त्रं चान्यदभीप्सितम् । यावत्साम्यं भवेद्राजन्नात्मनोऽभ्यधिकं च वा

Transliteration

suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ vā'tha vastraṃ cānyadabhīpsitam | yāvatsāmyaṃ bhavedrājannātmano'bhyadhikaṃ ca vā

Translation

ஓ அரசே, பொன், வெள்ளி, ஆடை அல்லது வேறு விரும்பிய தானத்தை—தன் எடைக்கு சமமாகும் வரை, அல்லது அதைவிட அதிகமாகும் வரை—அர்ப்பணிக்க வேண்டும்।

Word by Word

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• रजतम्: silver
• रजतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) — disjunctive particle

• अथ: then
• अथ: Anukrama (Sequencing/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रकरणारम्भ) — ‘then/also’

• वस्त्रम्: cloth/garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular; (अभीप्सितम् विशेष्य)

• अभीप्सितम्: desired (thing)
• अभीप्सितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-इप्स् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘desired’

• यावत्: as much as
• यावत्: Parimāṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि) — ‘as much as/so long as’

• साम्यम्: equality
• साम्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — ‘may be/should be’

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• अभ्यधिकम्: greater (than)
• अभ्यधिकम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; (साम्यं ... अभ्यधिकं वा)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) — ‘or’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style in Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly donor offers gold, silver, and garments into a sling-balance until it matches his weight; priests and witnesses ensure ritual propriety.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred charity performed with measure, sincerity, and abundance becomes a powerful means of merit and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya passage (place-glorification), but this snippet does not name the tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tulāpuruṣa-style giving: donating valuables (gold, silver, cloth, etc.) up to one’s weight or more.