Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यो यं कामयते कामं किंचिद्वस्त्रं धनं च वा । विचार्य तस्य तद्देयं सर्वयज्ञाधिपेन तु

Transliteration

yo yaṃ kāmayate kāmaṃ kiṃcidvastraṃ dhanaṃ ca vā | vicārya tasya taddeyaṃ sarvayajñādhipena tu

Translation

ఎవరెవరు ఏ కోరిక కోరినా—వస్త్రమైనా ధనమైనా—దానిని సమ్యక్‌గా విచారించి, సమస్త యజ్ఞములకు అధిపతియైన ప్రభువు అతనికి అదే ప్రసాదించుగాక।

Word by Word

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — relative pronoun (nom sg)

• यम्: which; whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — relative pronoun (acc sg)

• कामयते: desires
• कामयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — 'desires'

• कामम्: desire; wish
• कामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular

• किञ्चित्: some; a certain
• किञ्चित्: Vishesana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-परिमाणवाचक (indefinite particle/adverbial)

• वस्त्रम्: cloth; garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular

• धनम्: wealth; money
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• विचार्य: having considered
• विचार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vicārya (कृदन्त; √car (धातु) उपसर्ग-वि)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — 'having considered'

• तस्य: to/for him; of him
• तस्य: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — genitive singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Vishesana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — demonstrative used adjectivally with 'deyam'

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dā (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) — 'to be given'

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• अधिपेन: by the lord of all sacrifices
• अधिपेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — instrumental singular; समास: सर्वेषां यज्ञानाम् अधिपः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A presiding deity of sacrifice (Yajñeśvara) overseeing orderly distribution: pilgrims request cloth or wealth; an officiant consults dharmic propriety before granting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma at a sacred rite includes thoughtful generosity—meeting sincere needs is portrayed as part of yajña itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, praising the sacred-place framework where yajña and dāna are performed (the exact tīrtha name is not stated in this snippet).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription of dāna: give what is needed—such as clothing or wealth—after proper discernment, as part of the sacrificial administration.