Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

न्यायं तु देवतास्थाने स आचार्यविधानतः । ग्रहणं प्रोक्षणं चैव सूर्याय त्वेति चोत्तरम्

Transliteration

nyāyaṃ tu devatāsthāne sa ācāryavidhānataḥ | grahaṇaṃ prokṣaṇaṃ caiva sūryāya tveti cottaram

Translation

Am Ort der Gottheit vollzog er nach der Vorschrift des Lehrers das rechte Verfahren: er nahm die Gabe, besprengte sie zur Reinigung und schloss mit der Formel: „Für Sūrya — dies ist für Dich.“

Word by Word

• न्यायम्: procedure; rule; method
• न्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• देवतास्थाने: at the deity’s place
• देवतास्थाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (in the place of the deity)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• आचार्यविधानतः: according to the teacher’s injunction
• आचार्यविधानतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘according to’; आधार: आचार्यविधान

• ग्रहणम्: taking up; grasping
• ग्रहणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रोक्षणम्: sprinkling
• प्रोक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (emphatic/only)

• सूर्याय: to Sūrya (the Sun)
• सूर्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• त्वा-इति: “tvā” (you) — as mantra words
• त्वा-इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्वा (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक, द्वितीया एकवचन) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: मन्त्र-उद्धरणरूप; इति-प्रयोग (quotative)

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

• उत्तरम्: the subsequent (mantra/step)
• उत्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the deity’s designated spot, the ritualist takes the offering, sprinkles it for purity, and concludes by dedicating it to Sūrya with a clear final utterance.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice is safeguarded by lineage and guidance—ācārya-vidhi ensures devotion remains aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but this line highlights offering protocol rather than naming the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At the devatā-sthāna, perform grahaṇa and prokṣaṇa and offer with the formula addressed to Sūrya (“sūryāya… tvā/te”).