Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

ततो मध्यगमाहूय स तदा नगरोद्भवम् । श्रुताध्ययनसंपन्नं वृहस्पतिमिवापरम् । अब्रवीच्छ्लक्ष्णया वाचा त्यक्ता मौनं पितामहः

Transliteration

tato madhyagamāhūya sa tadā nagarodbhavam | śrutādhyayanasaṃpannaṃ vṛhaspatimivāparam | abravīcchlakṣṇayā vācā tyaktā maunaṃ pitāmahaḥ

Translation

„Dann rief er in die Mitte einen unter den Nāgaras Geborenen, vollendet im heiligen Hören und Studium, gleich einem zweiten Bṛhaspati. Da brach der Großvater Brahmā sein Schweigen und sprach mit sanfter Stimme.“

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तस्मात्/ततः = ‘thereupon/then’

• madhyagam: the one who goes in the middle / mediator
• madhyagam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समास: मध्यं गच्छति इति मध्यमगः (tatpuruṣa)

• āhūya: having summoned
• āhūya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-hū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having called/summoned’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): ‘at that time’

• nagarodbhavam: one born from the city / of city-origin
• nagarodbhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समास: नगरात् उद्भवः = नगरोद्भवः (tatpuruṣa, ablative relation)

• śruta: learning (heard knowledge)
• śruta: None (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग), ‘heard/learning’ (as noun element)

• adhyayana: study
• adhyayana: None (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग), ‘study/recitation’

• saṃpannam: endowed (with)
• saṃpannam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘endowed/possessed’

• śrutādhyayana-saṃpannam: accomplished in learning and study
• śrutādhyayana-saṃpannam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruta + adhyayana + saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: श्रुतं च अध्ययनं च ताभ्यां सम्पन्नः (tatpuruṣa; instrumental sense)

• vṛhaspatim: Bṛhaspati
• vṛhaspatim: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upamana-marker (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle of comparison): ‘like/as’

• aparam: another
• aparam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘another/second’

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘said/spoke’

• ślakṣṇayā: with gentle/smooth
• ślakṣṇayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślakṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (वाचाम्)

• vācā: speech, words
• vācā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having abandoned’

• maunam: silence
• maunam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• pitāmahaḥ: the grandsire/elder (Pitāmaha)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator; direct speech about to be delivered by Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, previously silent, gently addresses a learned Nāgara-born brāhmaṇa, likened to Bṛhaspati, in a celestial assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Nāgaras
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is transmitted through qualified, learned representatives; divine guidance favors those grounded in śruta and adhyayana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Audumbarī-centered tīrtha narrative, setting up Brahmā’s instruction for proper arrangement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse introduces authoritative instruction regarding sacred arrangements.