Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

न यच्छति तथा दानं न च तीर्थं निषेवते । केवलं कुरुते स्नानं लिंगभेदे समाहितः

Transliteration

na yacchati tathā dānaṃ na ca tīrthaṃ niṣevate | kevalaṃ kurute snānaṃ liṃgabhede samāhitaḥ

Translation

وہ نہ تو مقررہ طریقے سے دان دیتا ہے، نہ ٹھیک طرح تیرتھ کی سیوا کرتا ہے؛ بس لِنگ کے فرقوں میں من لگا کر صرف اشنان ہی کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात

• यच्छति: gives
• यच्छति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; दानार्थे (to give)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in that manner/likewise)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: “and”)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place/sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• निषेवते: resorts to/visits
• निषेवते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: “only/merely”)

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• लिङ्गभेदे: in the distinction of signs/sex
• लिङ्गभेदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (liṅgasya bhedaḥ = distinction of marks/sex)

• समाहितः: composed/attentive
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (of the implied subject: he)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bather performing quick snāna while arguing about sectarian emblems; nearby, a poor supplicant is ignored; the tīrtha’s sanctity contrasts with human pettiness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer signs and mere bathing are insufficient; dharma is fulfilled through charity, reverent tīrtha practice, and sincere intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within the Hāṭakeśvara tīrtha/kṣetra narrative of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charity), tīrtha-niṣevā (reverent resorting to the sacred place), and snāna (ritual bathing) are contrasted—implying all should be properly integrated.