Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

चक्रुः सर्वाणि कर्माणि पुलस्त्येन प्रबोधिताः । सदोमध्ये गताश्चैव ऋत्विग्वरणपूर्वकाः

Transliteration

cakruḥ sarvāṇi karmāṇi pulastyena prabodhitāḥ | sadomadhye gatāścaiva ṛtvigvaraṇapūrvakāḥ

Translation

Von Pulastya unterwiesen, vollzogen sie alle vorgeschriebenen Handlungen; und nachdem sie zuvor die Opferpriester (ṛtvij) ausgewählt hatten, begaben sie sich in die Mitte der Opferhalle.

Word by Word

• चक्रुः: did; performed
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्माणि)

• कर्माणि: rites; actions
• कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म (object)

• पुलस्त्येन: by Pulastya
• पुलस्त्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु (agent-instrument)

• प्रबोधिताः: instructed; awakened
• प्रबोधिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+बुध् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ते)

• सदोमध्ये: in the middle of the assembly hall (sadas)
• सदोमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदस्-मध्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• गताः: gone; having proceeded
• गताः: Kriya (Motion/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; (ते)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• ऋत्विग्वरणपूर्वकाः: preceded by the choosing of priests
• ऋत्विग्वरणपूर्वकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋत्विज्-वरन-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ते)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya ṛṣi instructs a group of dvijas; they then enter a decorated sacrificial hall, where priests are being formally chosen—garlands, kuśa seats, and ritual vessels arranged in symmetry.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Pulastya
• ṛtvij
• sadas (sacrificial hall)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded by proper guidance (ṛṣi-upadeśa) and correct procedure—devotion expressed through disciplined ritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues a tīrtha-māhātmya setting but does not name the tīrtha explicitly in this line; it highlights the sanctified sacrificial space (sadas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ṛtvig-varaṇa (formal selection/appointment of priests) prior to commencing the main sacrificial proceedings.