Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा तेभ्यो वरान्नागान्ह याञ्जात्याननेकशः । सद्ग्रामाणि विचित्राणि क्षेत्राणि च सुधेनवः

Transliteration

dattvā tebhyo varānnāgānha yāñjātyānanekaśaḥ | sadgrāmāṇi vicitrāṇi kṣetrāṇi ca sudhenavaḥ

Translation

انہوں نے انہیں عمدہ ہاتھی اور بہت سے اعلیٰ نسل کے گھوڑے عطا کیے؛ نیز اچھے گاؤں، طرح طرح کی زمینیں اور کھیت، اور بہترین دودھ دینے والی گائیں بھی بخشیں۔

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः; धातु: दा (to give)

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया? (न), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• वरान्: excellent, choice
• वरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नागान्: elephants
• नागान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/indeclinable

• यान्: vehicles, conveyances
• यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• जात्यान्: of various kinds/classes
• जात्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (जाति-सम्बन्धिनः)

• अनेकशः: in many ways; repeatedly
• अनेकशः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकारवाचक

• सद्ग्रामाणि: good villages
• सद्ग्रामाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः: कर्मधारय (सत्-ग्रामाः = उत्तमग्रामाः)

• विचित्राणि: variegated, splendid
• विचित्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्षेत्राणि: fields/lands
• क्षेत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुधेनवः: excellent cows
• सुधेनवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (elliptic list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः: कर्मधारय (सु-धेनवः = उत्तमधेनवः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court or tīrtha precinct where a king ceremonially donates elephants, horses, villages, fields, and milch-cows to honored recipients (priests/guardians of the shrine), with attendants recording gifts and cows being led forward.

Characters & Entities

• Elephants
• Horses
• Villages
• Fields (kṣetra)
• Cows (dhenū)
• Brāhmaṇas (implied recipients)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened through substantial, welfare-oriented gifts—especially land and cows—offered in a tīrtha context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context of the chapter’s māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of high-value gifts: elephants, horses, villages, lands/fields, and milch-cows.