Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

तदादिशतु मां लोको यत्कृत्यं प्रकरोमि वः । अदेयमपि यच्छामि गृहायातस्य सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

tadādiśatu māṃ loko yatkṛtyaṃ prakaromi vaḥ | adeyamapi yacchāmi gṛhāyātasya sāṃpratam

Translation

“సభ నాకు ఆజ్ఞాపించుగాక—మీ కోసం నేను ఏ కర్తవ్యాన్ని చేయాలి? మీరు నా ఇంటికి వచ్చిన ఈ వేళ, అదేశ్యమైనదైనా నేను దానంగా ఇస్తాను.”

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (correlative)

• आदिशतु: let (him/it) instruct/command
• आदिशतु: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √दिश् (दिश् निर्देशने) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• लोकः: the people/community
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Clause linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative particle)

• कृत्यम्: duty; what should be done
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘to-be-done duty’

• प्रकरोमि: I do/perform
• प्रकरोमि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √कृ (कृ करणॆ) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• वः: for you (all)
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) (or षष्ठी Genitive by context), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• अदेयम्: not to be given; ungivable
• अदेयम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + देय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘वस्तु’)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चय (particle: even/also)

• यच्छामि: I give
• यच्छामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (यम् उपदाने) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; ‘I give’

• गृहायातस्य: of one who has come to (my) house
• गृहायातस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह + आयात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (contextual), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); क्त (PPP) ‘āyata’ with prefix ā-; तत्पुरुष (gṛham āyataḥ = one who has come home)

• साम्प्रतम्: now/at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Pṛthivīpati (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king addresses the assembly: ‘Command me’; attendants bring trays of gifts; the brāhmaṇas sit composed, ready to instruct; the moment captures the tension between zeal and dharmic regulation.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpati (king)
• loka (assembly/people)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality and service to the worthy are treated as supreme duty; generosity becomes a vehicle of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is dharma within the māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies dāna (giving) and fulfilling requested duties, but gives no specific ritual steps.