Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मौंजीहोमः प्रमाणं स्यान्मुनिवाक्येन चेद्भवेत् । तदेतदपि वाक्यं हि कात्यायनमुनेः स्फुटम्

Transliteration

mauṃjīhomaḥ pramāṇaṃ syānmunivākyena cedbhavet | tadetadapi vākyaṃ hi kātyāyanamuneḥ sphuṭam

Translation

إن اعتمد المرء على شهادة الحكماء، وجب قبول الشعيرة المعروفة بـ«مَوْنْجِي-هوما» دليلاً صحيحاً؛ فإن هذا المعنى نفسه قد بيّنه الحكيم كاتيايانا بعباراته الصريحة الواضحة.

Word by Word

• मौञ्जीहोमः: the Mauñjī-homa (rite)
• मौञ्जीहोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौञ्जी (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मौञ्ज्याः होमः)

• प्रमाणम्: authoritative proof/standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनिवाक्येन: by the sage's statement
• मुनिवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मुनेः वाक्येन)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्तसूचक निपात) conditional particle

• भवेत्: should occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshya (Demonstrative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshya (Demonstrative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-भाव) particle

• वाक्यम्: statement
• वाक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ) particle

• कात्यायनमुनेः: of sage Kātyāyana
• कात्यायनमुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कात्यायन (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कात्यायनः मुनिः)

• स्फुटम्: clear/explicit
• स्फुटम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (वाक्यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta’s narrative frame in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned assembly where a sage’s citation is offered as proof; palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual fire imagery suggest Mauñjī-homa and Kātyāyana’s authority.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be grounded in reliable authority—especially the clear testimony of realized sages and established tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse supports the narrative authority within the Viṣṇupadī-Gaṅgā context; the specific tīrtha is elaborated in the surrounding verses about Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mauñjī-homa is referenced as an authoritative rite/criterion when supported by sage testimony.