Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अन्ये होमक्रिया भूपा जपमन्ये निरर्गलम् । स्वाध्यायमपरे शान्ताः सम्यक्छ्रद्धासमन्विताः

Transliteration

anye homakriyā bhūpā japamanye nirargalam | svādhyāyamapare śāntāḥ samyakchraddhāsamanvitāḥ

Translation

কিছু রাজা হোমকর্ম করলেন, কিছুজন অবিরাম জপে রত হলেন; আর অন্যেরা শান্ত ও সংযত হয়ে যথার্থ শ্রদ্ধাসহ স্বাধ্যায়ে নিয়োজিত রইলেন।

Word by Word

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• होमक्रियाः: homa rites
• होमक्रियाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (होमस्य क्रियाः)

• भूपाः: O kings / rulers
• भूपाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि (O kings) सन्दर्भे

• जपम्: recitation (japa)
• जपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• निरर्गलम्: uninterrupted
• निरर्गलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + अर्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्याहत/अनवरत (uninterrupted) अर्थे विशेषणम्

• स्वाध्यायम्: self-study/recitation of Veda
• स्वाध्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग (others)

• शान्ताः: peaceful
• शान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शम् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (calm)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• श्रद्धासमन्विताः: endowed with faith
• श्रद्धासमन्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; √अन्वि क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (श्रद्धया समन्विताः = endowed with faith)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta in the Tīrthamāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred encampment: a homa-kuṇḍa with steady flames, some seated with mālā in japa, others reciting from palm-leaf manuscripts; kings and sages share the space in disciplined quiet.

Characters & Entities

• kings (bhūpa)
• homa
• japa
• svādhyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a holy place, diverse disciplines—homa, japa, and svādhyāya—become powerful when grounded in proper faith and inner calm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises practice within the unnamed ‘kṣetra’ being described in Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (the broader passage celebrates the sanctity of that pilgrimage-field).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa (fire-offering), continuous japa (mantra repetition), and svādhyāya (scriptural self-recitation/study).