Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नक्षत्रसंज्ञिता लोके कीर्त्यंते या द्विजोत्तमैः । दैवज्ञैरश्विनीपूर्वा रूपौदार्यगुणान्विताः

Transliteration

nakṣatrasaṃjñitā loke kīrtyaṃte yā dvijottamaiḥ | daivajñairaśvinīpūrvā rūpaudāryaguṇānvitāḥ

Translation

وهنّ معروفاتٌ في العالم باسم «النَّكشترَات»، يثني عليهنّ خِيارُ ذوي الولادتين والمنجّمون، ابتداءً من «أشويني»، وهنّ موصوفاتٌ بالجمال والسخاء والفضائل.

Word by Word

• नक्षत्रसंज्ञिताः: named as ‘Nakṣatras’
• नक्षत्रसंज्ञिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नक्षत्र + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (संज्ञित = named), तत्पुरुषः (नक्षत्र-संज्ञित = called ‘nakṣatra’)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कीर्त्यन्ते: are celebrated/mentioned
• कीर्त्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: are praised/are mentioned)

• याः: which (fem. pl.)
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सम्बन्ध (relative pronoun)

• द्विजोत्तमैः: by the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (द्विजेषु उत्तमाः = best among twice-born)

• दैवज्ञैः: by astrologers/astronomers
• दैवज्ञैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अश्विनीपूर्वाः: beginning with Aśvinī
• अश्विनीपूर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्विनी + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अश्विनी पूर्वा यसाम् = beginning with Aśvinī)

• रूपौदार्यगुणान्विताः: endowed with beauty, generosity, and virtues
• रूपौदार्यगुणान्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + औदार्य + गुण + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (अन्वित = endowed), बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (रूप-औदार्य-गुणैः अन्विताः)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic procession of the Nakṣatra maidens, each subtly marked, beginning with Aśvinī; learned brāhmaṇas and astrologers (daivajñas) praise them, indicating their fame and virtues.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatras
• Aśvinī
• Dvijottamas
• Daivajñas
• Dakṣa's daughters (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (time measured through Nakṣatras) is honored as sacred knowledge preserved by learned traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named here; the verse supports the Soma narrative that frames the Somēśvara Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it references traditional authorities (dvijas, daivajñas) who transmit calendrical and sacred lore.