Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ततो मया गृहीतानि पद्मानि द्विजसत्तमाः । विक्रयार्थं प्रभूतानि वाच्छमानेन भोजनम्

Transliteration

tato mayā gṛhītāni padmāni dvijasattamāḥ | vikrayārthaṃ prabhūtāni vācchamānena bhojanam

Translation

Vì thế tôi hái thật nhiều hoa sen để đem bán, bạch bậc tối thượng trong hàng Nhị sinh, mong nhờ đó mà có được miếng ăn.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्) — ‘ततः’ = thereafter/from there

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोगः; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; लिङ्ग-निर्देशः अप्रासंगिकः

• gṛhītāni: taken/collected
• gṛhītāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु) + kta (क्त) → gṛhīta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; ‘taken/collected’

• padmāni: lotuses
• padmāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचनम्

• dvija-sattamāḥ: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvija-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (हे द्विजसत्तमाः)

• vikraya-artham: for sale; for the purpose of selling
• vikraya-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vikraya (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासान्तं अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम् — ‘for the purpose of selling’

• prabhūtāni: abundant; many
• prabhūtāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prabhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; ‘many/abundant’ (padmāni इति विशेष्येण सह)

• vācchamānena: by (one) desiring
• vācchamānena: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāñch (धातु) + śatṛ/śānac (शानच्) → vāñchamāna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तं कृदन्तम्; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्भवः, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; ‘desiring’

• bhojanam: food; a meal
• bhojanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a merchant/traveler) within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (assembled brāhmaṇas / sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor lotus-gatherer with a bundle of fresh padmas, looking toward a distant city gate, the waterbody behind him shimmering; his wife nearby, both travel-worn.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking sustenance through honest effort is consistent with dharma; the tīrtha landscape becomes a setting where providence and effort meet.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The lotus-rich lake (saras) near Camatkārapura remains the implied sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual instruction; the verse describes gathering lotuses for sale to secure food.