Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

कात्यायनोऽपि तां सर्वां दृष्ट्वा चक्रे सहस्रशः । तदा विश्वहितार्थाय शालाकर्मादि पूर्विकाम्

Transliteration

kātyāyano'pi tāṃ sarvāṃ dṛṣṭvā cakre sahasraśaḥ | tadā viśvahitārthāya śālākarmādi pūrvikām

Translation

Auch Kātyāyana, als er den ganzen Ritus sah, vollzog ihn tausendfach zum Wohl der ganzen Welt, beginnend mit den vorbereitenden Handlungen wie dem śālā-karman und anderem.

Word by Word

• कात्यायनः: Kātyāyana
• कात्यायनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kātyāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = also

• ताम्: that (thing)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वाम्: entire
• सर्वाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ताम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having seen

• चक्रे: made / performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (आत्मनेपद) = Perfect; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सहस्रशः: in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sankhya/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = 'in thousands/many times'

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = then/at that time

• विश्वहितार्थाय: for the welfare-purpose of the world
• विश्वहितार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + hita + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-भाव): 'विश्वस्य हितस्य अर्थाय' = for the purpose of the welfare of the world; पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

• शालाकर्मादि: beginning with peg-work etc.
• शालाकर्मादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālā + karma + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'शालाकर्म' (work of stakes/pegs) + 'आदि' (etc.); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (contextually as qualifier of an implied noun; here used adjectivally with 'पूर्विकाम्')

• पूर्विकाम्: as a preliminary / preceded by
• पूर्विकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrvikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण = 'having as a preliminary/preceded by' (qualifying an implied feminine noun like 'क्रिया/विधि')

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice; implied for this section)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāstu-pada (kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kātyāyana, inspired by what he sees, performs the rite innumerable times, beginning with śālā-karman—ritual pavilion construction, protective boundaries, and repeated offerings for universal welfare.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyana
• Vāstu (rite)
• Śālā-karman (preliminary rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-oriented ritual is not merely personal—it can be undertaken for lokahita, the welfare of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred field of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra where the Vāstu-pada’s greatness is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Repeating the Vāstu rite with proper preliminaries, including śālā-karman and related preparatory actions.