Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तस्मादस्य विभो यच्छ वेदज्ञानमनुतमम् । येन कर्मविशेषाश्च जायतेऽत्र पुरोत्तमे

Transliteration

tasmādasya vibho yaccha vedajñānamanutamam | yena karmaviśeṣāśca jāyate'tra purottame

Translation

Darum, o mächtiger Herr, gewähre ihm das unvergleichliche Wissen der Veden, damit hier, in dieser besten der Städte, die besonderen Formen rituellen Handelns rechtmäßig entstehen und sich begründen.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that (therefore)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• अस्य: of him/this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• विभो: O Lord, O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• यच्छ: grant, give
• यच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: यम् (to give/offer) — रूपम्: यच्छ (देहि)

• वेदज्ञानम्: knowledge of the Veda
• वेदज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य ज्ञानम्)

• अनुतमम्: most excellent, unsurpassed
• अनुतमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वेदज्ञानस्य)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• कर्मविशेषाः: special rites/actions
• कर्मविशेषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + विशेष (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणां विशेषाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जायते: arises, comes into being
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु: जन् (to be born/arise)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पुरोत्तमे: in Purottama (the best city/place)
• पुरोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (पुराणां उत्तमः) — स्थानवाचक-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Narrative voice within Sūta’s account (a supplicatory address to the Lord, contextually Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: purōttama-purī (as named in verse; exact tīrtha unspecified)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant addresses a mighty lord, requesting unsurpassed Vedic knowledge so that specialized rites may be established in the foremost city; the city is suggested as a luminous sacred urban space with ritual fires and recitation halls.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (implied)
• Veda
• Purottama (best city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places flourish when Vedic wisdom is alive; knowledge (jñāna) properly directs ritual action (karma) toward merit and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The phrase ‘purottame’ praises a supreme sacred city in this section; the exact city name is not stated in the provided excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for anuttama veda-jñāna so that karmaviśeṣa—specialized ritual procedures—may be correctly instituted.