Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

दूरादभ्येत्य लोकाश्च पूजयंति ततः परम् । अथ तत्र द्विजा येऽन्ये संस्थिता गुणवत्तराः

Transliteration

dūrādabhyetya lokāśca pūjayaṃti tataḥ param | atha tatra dvijā ye'nye saṃsthitā guṇavattarāḥ

Translation

দূৰ-দূৰান্তৰ পৰা লোক আহি তাত অধিক ভাৱে পুজা কৰিবলৈ ধৰিলে। তাৰ পাছত তাত আন কিছুমান দ্বিজো বাস কৰিছিল—অধিক গুণসম্পন্ন।

Word by Word

• दूरात्: from far away
• दूरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘from afar’

• अभ्येत्य: having approached
• अभ्येत्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having come/approached’

• लोकाः: people
• लोकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पूजयन्ति: worship
• पूजयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थ/तस्मात् (thereupon/then)

• परम्: greatly, exceedingly
• परम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative) ‘greatly/especially’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय

• द्विजाः: Brahmins
• द्विजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (द्विजाः)

• संस्थिताः: residing, stationed
• संस्थिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) ‘stationed/settled’

• गुणवत्तराः: more virtuous
• गुणवत्तराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative) ‘more virtuous’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stream of pilgrims approaches from distant roads—families, ascetics, merchants—carrying offerings; they queue and bow before the famed liṅga while resident brāhmaṇas observe and manage rites.

Characters & Entities

• people (lokāḥ)
• brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)
• Liṅga (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A genuine tīrtha draws devotees from distant places; sacred power radiates outward and inspires collective worship.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A renowned local liṅga-tīrtha in Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the precise identification depends on the adhyāya’s broader context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (coming from afar) and pūjā (worship) offered at the liṅga.