Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततः शंकुप्रचारं तु करिष्यति तदग्रतः । एतद्वाक्यं मया प्रोक्तं सर्वदेवसमा गमे

Transliteration

tataḥ śaṃkupracāraṃ tu kariṣyati tadagrataḥ | etadvākyaṃ mayā proktaṃ sarvadevasamā game

Translation

»Dann wird in deiner Gegenwart das Ritual des śaṅku-pracāra (das feierliche Messen und Abstecken mit einem Pflock) vollzogen. Diese Worte habe ich in der Versammlung gesprochen, in der alle Götter zusammenkamen.«

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रम/अनन्तरार्थे (then/thereafter)

• शंकुप्रचारम्: the peg-circling/peg procedure
• शंकुप्रचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकु + प्रचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शंकु-प्रचारः = moving/setting the peg)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• करिष्यति: will do/perform
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तदग्रतः: in front of it/her
• तदग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् + अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अग्रतः (adverb) = in front; तद्-सम्बन्धेन (in front of that/there)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम् इति)

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

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

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken/said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्यम् इति सह (spoken/said)

• सर्वदेवसमा: equal to all the gods
• सर्वदेवसमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + देव + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वदेवैः समा = equal to all gods)

• गमे: in the context of coming/approach
• गमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (गमः/गमनम्—आगमन/प्रसङ्गे)

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests a leading ritual authority addressing a Devī in a divine/ritual assembly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In front of the invoked deity/recipient, priests perform śaṅku-pracāra: a stake is set, cords/lines extend to mark the ritual perimeter; gods are imagined as witnessing in a celestial sabhā.

Characters & Entities

• Sarvadeva (all the gods)
• Devī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites performed at a tīrtha gain special authority when affirmed before the divine assembly, emphasizing dharma upheld with public truthfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (chapter context not naming the exact site in this excerpt), framing a local tīrtha ritual as divinely witnessed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śaṅku-pracāra—an act of ceremonial marking/measuring with a stake/peg as part of a rite performed in the presence of the addressed deity/person.