Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

असंख्याता कृता वृत्तिः पुराऽस्माकं महात्मना । ततः सा वृद्धिमानीता तत्परैः पार्थिवोत्तमैः

Transliteration

asaṃkhyātā kṛtā vṛttiḥ purā'smākaṃ mahātmanā | tataḥ sā vṛddhimānītā tatparaiḥ pārthivottamaiḥ

Translation

پہلے ایک عظیم النفس سرپرست نے ہماری گزر بسر کے لیے بے شمار وظیفہ مقرر کیا تھا؛ پھر اسی مقصد کے لیے مخلص بہترین بادشاہوں نے اسے اور بڑھا دیا۔

Word by Word

• असंख्याता: countless
• असंख्याता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कृता: was made/established
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वृत्तिः’ इत्यस्य विधेय

• वृत्तिः: maintenance/allowance
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘our’

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Kartr-karana (Agent in instrumental/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Krama (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतु-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• सा: that (allowance)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृद्धिम्: increase
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आनीता: was brought/led to
• आनीता: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सा’ इत्यस्य विधेय

• तत्परैः: by those devoted to that
• तत्परैः: Karana/Agent-marker (Instrumental of agents)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘in that devoted’)

• पार्थिवोत्तमैः: by the best kings
• पार्थिवोत्तमैः: Karana/Agent-marker (Instrumental of agents)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘best among kings’)

Speaker

Unspecified (likely community/brāhmaṇa voice within the tīrtha narrative, reporting to the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative flashback implied: a great patron establishes vast provisions; later kings add to it. In the present, brāhmaṇas recount this lineage of generosity before the king.

Characters & Entities

• pārthivottama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting sacred institutions through stable endowments is praised as a continuing royal duty, carried forward by successive righteous kings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context glorifies a tīrtha-region; this verse specifically highlights patronage rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied dāna (charitable endowment) in the form of vṛtti/grants; no detailed rite is specified.