Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्मा समागत्य ततो मस्तकमण्डनम् । चकार ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठा नागराणां मते स्थितः

Transliteration

viśvakarmā samāgatya tato mastakamaṇḍanam | cakāra brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhā nāgarāṇāṃ mate sthitaḥ

Translation

Dann kam Viśvakarmā herbei und fertigte den Kopfschmuck (die zeremonielle Krone). O Bester der Brāhmaṇas, er handelte gemäß dem von den Nāgaras anerkannten Brauch.

Word by Word

• विश्वकर्मा: Viśvakarmā
• विश्वकर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• समागत्य: having arrived
• समागत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया—'having come/arrived'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय

• मस्तकमण्डनम्: head-ornament/crowning decoration
• मस्तकमण्डनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक + मण्डन (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: मस्तकस्य मण्डनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• चकार: made/did
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः: the best of brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्राह्मणेषु श्रेष्ठः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (पाठे 'श्रेष्ठा' इति रूपं—श्रेष्ठः इत्यर्थे)

• नागराणाम्: of the Nāgaras
• नागराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• मते: in the view/opinion
• मते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; 'मते' = in the opinion/view

• स्थितः: abiding/standing
• स्थितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेष्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'standing/abiding'

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarmā descends with tools and celestial attendants, crafting a ceremonial head-ornament/crown consistent with Nāgara custom; priests observe approvingly near the yajña setting.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarmā
• Nāgaras
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites honor both cosmic order and local dharmic custom; even divine agencies work within the kṣetra’s established tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s sacred kṣetra, where Nāgara-approved ceremonial norms guide even the preparations for the rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ritual adornments and preparations are to be done in conformity with the Nāgaras’ accepted practice (mata).