Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

क्षिप्त्वा तत्र जलं विप्राः साक्षतं गृहमागमत् । अगृह्य दक्षिणां तस्य पार्थिवस्य यथास्थिताम्

Transliteration

kṣiptvā tatra jalaṃ viprāḥ sākṣataṃ gṛhamāgamat | agṛhya dakṣiṇāṃ tasya pārthivasya yathāsthitām

Translation

ครั้นสาดน้ำลง ณ ที่นั้นแล้ว พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายก็กลับเรือนพร้อมอักษตะ โดยมิได้รับทักษิณาที่พระราชาจัดไว้

Word by Word

• क्षिप्त्वा: having thrown
• क्षिप्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: क्षिप्, अर्थ: ‘कृत्वा/करित्वा’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• साक्षतम्: with (unbroken) rice-grains
• साक्षतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (सह + अक्षत ‘with unbroken rice’), ‘जलम्’ इति विशेषण

• गृहम्: to the house
• गृहम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगमत्: went/returned
• आगमत्: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अगृह्य: without accepting
• अगृह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (negative gerund), ‘न गृहीत्वा’

• दक्षिणाम्: fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक-सामान्य

• पार्थिवस्य: of the king
• पार्थिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यथास्थिताम्: as it stood/unchanged
• यथास्थिताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: अव्ययीभाव (यथा + स्थित ‘as it was’), ‘दक्षिणाम्’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas sprinkle/cast water mixed with akṣata at a chosen spot, then turn away and depart, leaving behind the king’s prepared fee untouched.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• king (pārthiva)
• dakṣiṇā
• water (jala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual service is bound to ethics: when circumstances are improper, the wise may withdraw and refuse dakṣiṇā, upholding dharma over gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the action is within a Māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Casting/sprinkling ritual water at the intended place, and the principle of accepting or refusing dakṣiṇā depending on dharmic propriety.