Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणैश्च ततः कर्म प्रारब्धं यज्ञसम्भवम् । विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनैर्नमस्कृत्य महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaiśca tataḥ karma prārabdhaṃ yajñasambhavam | vismayotphullanayanairnamaskṛtya maheśvaram

Translation

Darauf begannen die Brahmanen die Opferhandlungen des Yajña; und mit vor Staunen weit geöffneten Augen verneigten sie sich ehrfürchtig vor Maheśvara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणैः: by the brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

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

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• कर्म: the rite/action
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• प्रारब्धम्: was begun/undertaken
• प्रारब्धम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√रभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञसम्भवम्: arising from the sacrifice
• यज्ञसम्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञात् सम्भवः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Genitive/determinative tatpurusha, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनैः: with eyes widened in wonder
• विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्फुल्ल (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-समास (विस्मयेन उत्फुल्लानि नयनानि यस्य) — Instrumental, Plural; determinative compound used adjectivally

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed/saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्-√कृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having saluted

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajña-śālā with blazing āhavanīya fire; Brāhmaṇas begin the rite while turning toward a Śiva-liṅga/manifest Maheśvara, eyes widened in awe, hands folded in namaskāra.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• yajña
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual dharma is perfected when it culminates in reverence to Maheśvara, acknowledging the divine source of sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kapāleśvara tīrtha setting where the yajña and Śiva’s honoring occur.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Commencing yajña-karmas and offering namaskāra to Maheśvara as part of the rite’s sanctifying conduct.