Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मयैतदग्र्यं निर्माय ब्राह्मणेभ्यो निवेदितम् । पुरं शर्वाऽमराधीश श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा

Transliteration

mayaitadagryaṃ nirmāya brāhmaṇebhyo niveditam | puraṃ śarvā'marādhīśa śraddhāpūtena cetasā

Translation

O Śarva, Herr der Unsterblichen: Nachdem ich dieses vortreffliche Werk errichtet habe, habe ich die Stadt den Brāhmaṇas geweiht, mit einem durch Glauben geläuterten Geist.

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘मया’ (by me)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘एतत्’ (this)

• agryam: excellent
• agryam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण — ‘अग्र्यम्’ (excellent/foremost)

• nirmāya: having constructed
• nirmāya: Purvakala (Absolutive/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√mā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव), ‘निर्माय’ = ‘निर्माय/निर्मित्वा’ (having built/created)

• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन — ‘ब्राह्मणेभ्यः’ (to the Brahmins)

• niveditam: (was) offered
• niveditam: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vid (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थं — ‘निवेदितम्’ (offered/dedicated)

• puram: a city
• puram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — ‘पुरम्’ (city/settlement)

• śarva: O Śarva
• śarva: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — ‘शर्व’ (O Śarva/Śiva)

• amara-adhīśa: O lord of the gods
• amara-adhīśa: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः — ‘अमराणाम् अधीशः’ (lord of the immortals)

• śraddhāpūtena: purified by faith
• śraddhāpūtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक) + pūta (प्रातिपदिक; √pū + kta)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग (चेतसा इति नपुंसकस्य), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः — ‘श्रद्धया पूतेन’ (purified by faith)

• cetasā: with (my) mind
• cetasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — ‘चेतसा’ (with mind/heart)

Speaker

The King

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/ṛṣis (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king addresses Śarva: he has built an excellent city/settlement and offered it to brāhmaṇas; scenes may show construction, a formal donation ceremony, and brāhmaṇas receiving with Vedic chants.

Characters & Entities

• Śarva (Śiva)
• amara-adhīśa (Lord of gods)
• brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit arises when charity is offered with śraddhā—inner purity completes the outward act of giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The gifting is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra account; the city and the kṣetra are linked through Śiva’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nivedana/dāna to brāhmaṇas—formal dedication of property as a dharmic offering.