Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रानधनो धनमाप्नुयात् । स्वल्पायुर्दीर्घमायु्ष्यं शत्रूणां चैव संक्षयम्

Transliteration

aputro labhate putrānadhano dhanamāpnuyāt | svalpāyurdīrghamāyu्ṣyaṃ śatrūṇāṃ caiva saṃkṣayam

Translation

بے اولاد کو اولاد نصیب ہوتی ہے؛ مفلس کو دولت ملتی ہے۔ کم عمر والا درازیِ عمر پاتا ہے اور دشمنوں کا بھی زوال ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अपुत्रः: a sonless man
• अपुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); नञ्-तत्पुरुषवत् नकारार्थ (a-bahuvrihi sense: ‘without a son’)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अधनः: a poor man
• अधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘without wealth’

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आप्नुयात्: would obtain / may obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• स्वल्पायुः: one of short life-span
• स्वल्पायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः कर्मधारय (स्वल्पं आयुः यस्य)

• दीर्घम्: long
• दीर्घम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) आयुष्यं-विशेषणम्

• आयुष्यम्: life-span, longevity
• आयुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शत्रूणाम्: of enemies
• शत्रूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samyojaka (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphasis)

• संक्षयम्: destruction, diminution
• संक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a Śaiva tīrtha receive boons symbolically: a childless couple blessed, a poor devotee offered coins/grain, an elder granted long life, foes receding—under the unseen gaze of Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri (context)
• Aśvasena (listener implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-centered vrata unites worldly well-being with spiritual protection, supporting dharma in household life.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the promised fruits are tied to the Śivarātri observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse lists fruits (phala) of the Śivarātri vrata; the practice is implied from prior verses (jāgaraṇa with dāna/homa/japa).