Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादयो यज्ञा ये वर्तन्ते धरातले । यष्टव्यस्तेषु यज्ञेषु स एव हि सुरेश्वरः

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādayo yajñā ye vartante dharātale | yaṣṭavyasteṣu yajñeṣu sa eva hi sureśvaraḥ

Translation

Agniṣṭoma und die anderen Opfer, die auf Erden vollzogen werden—unter diesen Yajñas ist es wahrlich eben jener Herr der Götter, der sie selbst darbringen soll.

Word by Word

• agniṣṭoma-ādayaḥ: (rites) beginning with Agniṣṭoma
• agniṣṭoma-ādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agniṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; -आदयः = ‘beginning with’

• yajñāḥ: sacrifices
• yajñāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• ye: which
• ye: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; (यज्ञाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• vartante: take place; exist
• vartante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (वृत्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• dharā-tale: on the earth’s surface
• dharā-tale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; धरातल = surface of the earth

• yaṣṭavyaḥ: is to be worshipped (by sacrifice)
• yaṣṭavyaḥ: Vidheyā (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (यज्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be worshipped/sacrificed to’

• teṣu: among those
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• yajñeṣu: in the sacrifices
• yajñeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

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

• eva: indeed; alone
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• surā-īśvaraḥ: the lord of the gods
• surā-īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सुरेश्वर = lord of the gods

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of Agniṣṭoma: altar, sacred fire, soma-pressing implied; above or behind, the Lord of gods presides, indicating divine governance of earthly sacrifices.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Yajña
• Sureśvara (Lord of the Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual authority is tied to cosmic stewardship—great rites reflect the responsibility of divine governance and dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question arises within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya discourse, though this verse focuses on yajña principle rather than a site name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references Agniṣṭoma and other yajñas and raises the issue of who should officiate as principal performer (yajamāna).