Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यो होमं चतुरो मासान्प्रकरोति तिलाक्षतैः । स्वाहांतैर्वैष्णवैर्मंत्रैर्न स रोगेण युज्यते

Transliteration

yo homaṃ caturo māsānprakaroti tilākṣataiḥ | svāhāṃtairvaiṣṇavairmaṃtrairna sa rogeṇa yujyate

Translation

من أقام الهَوْمَة (قربان النار) أربعة أشهر بالسمسم والأرزّ غير المكسور (akṣata)، متلوّاً بمانترات فايشنفية تنتهي بـ«سفاهَا» (svāhā)، لا تُصيبه عِلّة.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• होमम्: homa, oblation-rite
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मासान् इति)

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• प्रकरोति: performs
• प्रकरोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तिलाक्षतैः: with sesame and unbroken rice
• तिलाक्षतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; करणम्

• स्वाहान्तैः: ending with “svāhā”
• स्वाहान्तैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाहा + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रैः)

• वैष्णवैः: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रैः)

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; करणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अन्वय-प्रत्यवस्थापन (correlative pronoun)

• रोगेण: by illness, with disease
• रोगेण: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/सहकारक-भाव (by/with illness)

• युज्यते: is afflicted/connected
• युज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small domestic/temple fire-altar with steady flame; devotee offers sesame and unbroken rice while chanting Vaiṣṇava svāhā-mantras; Viṣṇu’s presence suggested by a nearby icon and conch-disc symbols.

Characters & Entities

• Homa
• Viṣṇu (Vaiṣṇava mantras)
• Svāhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained worship through homa and mantra during sacred months is portrayed as both spiritually meritorious and protective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse focuses on a vrata-practice (homa) rather than naming a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing homa for four months using sesame and akṣata while reciting Vaiṣṇava mantras that conclude with ‘svāhā’.