Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अथ देवर्षिमध्यस्थ ऋचीको वाक्यमब्रवीत् । अस्य जन्मकृते देव ब्राह्म्यैर्मंत्रैर्मया चरुः

Transliteration

atha devarṣimadhyastha ṛcīko vākyamabravīt | asya janmakṛte deva brāhmyairmaṃtrairmayā caruḥ

Translation

Da sprach Ṛcīka, inmitten der göttlichen Seher stehend: „O Herr, um seiner Geburt willen bereitete ich das caru, die Opfergabe, mit brahmanischen Mantras.“

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequence adverb)

• देवर्षि: divine sages
• देवर्षि: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषपूर्वपद; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानां ऋषिः)

• मध्यस्थ: standing in the midst / present among
• मध्यस्थ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘ऋचीको’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ऋचीकः: Ṛcīka
• ऋचीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋचीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अस्य: of him / of this one
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जन्मकृते: for (his) birth / for the sake of birth
• जन्मकृते: Prayojana/Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म + कृते (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जन्मनः कृते = जन्मार्थे)

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• ब्राह्म्यैः: Brahmanical
• ब्राह्म्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘मन्त्रैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• चरुः: (a) sacrificial porridge offering (caru)
• चरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (अत्र वाक्ये ‘अस्ति/भवति’ इति लुप्तक्रिया सम्भाव्या)

Speaker

Ṛcīka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṛcīka, radiant and composed, speaks in the midst of devarṣis; beside him a sacrificial altar with fire, ladle, and a golden vessel of caru, with mantra-waves depicted as luminous lines.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛcīka
• Devarṣis
• Caru (oblational offering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse links spiritual lineage and inner qualification to sacred rites—mantra and yajña are portrayed as shaping destiny and character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s broader sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparation of a caru (oblational offering) empowered by brāhmaṇical mantras is referenced (a yajña-related rite).