Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तस्माद्गच्छामि चेत्कश्चित्पद्मान्येतानि मे नरः । मूल्येन प्रतिगृह्णाति भोजनं जायते ततः

Transliteration

tasmādgacchāmi cetkaścitpadmānyetāni me naraḥ | mūlyena pratigṛhṇāti bhojanaṃ jāyate tataḥ

Translation

ดังนั้นข้าพเจ้าจะไป—หากมีผู้ใดรับดอกบัวเหล่านี้จากข้าพเจ้าด้วยค่าตอบแทน ก็จักได้อาหารจากสิ่งนั้น

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं अव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• गच्छामि: I go
• गच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle ‘if’)

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (someone)

• पद्मानि: lotuses
• पद्मानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (these)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन; मम (of me)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; कश्चित्-नरः (apposition)

• मूल्येन: for a price
• मूल्येन: Karana (Means/price/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रतिगृह्णाति: accepts/buys
• प्रतिगृह्णाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भोजनम्: food
• भोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• जायते: arises/is obtained
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: from that/thereby
• ततः: Hetu (Result-source/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं/तस्मात् (therefrom/then)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a devotee/pilgrim speaking within the Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage addressed indirectly (continuation of narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor pilgrim holding a bundle of fresh lotuses considers selling them to buy food before joining the night vigil.

Characters & Entities

• Padma (lotus)
• Bhojana (food)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a worldly aim (seeking food) can become the cause that leads one into a holy vigil and divine encounter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The story is situated in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-region, moving toward Mahākāla’s shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it sets up the approach toward a devotional gathering.