Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

मुंडेनाथर्वशीर्षेण दिवारात्रमतंद्रितः । क्षेत्रपालोत्थसूक्तेन वास्तुसूक्तेन च द्विजाः

Transliteration

muṃḍenātharvaśīrṣeṇa divārātramataṃdritaḥ | kṣetrapālotthasūktena vāstusūktena ca dvijāḥ

Translation

Mit dem Muṇḍa und dem Atharvaśīrṣa, unermüdlich bei Tag und Nacht; und auch mit dem Hymnus, der für Kṣetrapāla aufsteigt, sowie mit dem Vāstu-sūkta—o Brāhmaṇas—(vollzog er das Ritual).

Word by Word

• मुंडेन: with (the hymn called) Muṇḍa
• मुंडेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुंड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• अथर्वशीर्षेण: with the Atharvaśīrṣa (hymn)
• अथर्वशीर्षेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अथर्वणः शीर्षम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (by day)

• रात्रम्: by night
• रात्रम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (अव्ययीभावार्थे/काल), एकवचन; 'दिवा रात्रम्' = day and night (idiom)

• अतन्द्रितः: untiring, unwearied
• अतन्द्रितः: Karta-guṇa (Attribute of subject/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपपद (not lazy)

• क्षेत्रपालोत्थसूक्तेन: with the hymn arising from/pertaining to Kṣetrapāla
• क्षेत्रपालोत्थसूक्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्रपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षेत्रपालात् उत्थं सूक्तम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• वास्तुसूक्तेन: with the Vāstu hymn
• वास्तुसूक्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास्तु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (वास्तोः सूक्तम्/वास्तु-विषयकं सूक्तम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• द्विजाः: the Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (purāṇic narration), addressing dvijas (brāhmaṇas/sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-and-day ritual scene: priests and the king recite Muṇḍa and Atharvaśīrṣa, invoke Kṣetrapāla, and chant Vāstu-sūkta; a homa fire burns steadily in the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Muṇḍa (Upaniṣadic text/tradition)
• Atharvaśīrṣa
• Kṣetrapāla
• Vāstu-sūkta
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persistent sacred recitation aligns the practitioner with the protective intelligence of the kṣetra and its guardian powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa kṣetra is praised by showing its ritual ecosystem: kṣetrapāla, vāstu, and place-deity worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous day-and-night recitation/ritual using Muṇḍa, Atharvaśīrṣa, Kṣetrapāla-related sūkta, and Vāstu-sūkta.