Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

मुक्त्वा तु नागरं विप्रं योऽन्येनात्र करिष्यति । श्राद्धं वा यदि वा यज्ञं व्यर्थं तस्य भविष्यति

Transliteration

muktvā tu nāgaraṃ vipraṃ yo'nyenātra kariṣyati | śrāddhaṃ vā yadi vā yajñaṃ vyarthaṃ tasya bhaviṣyati

Translation

Wer einen Nāgara-Brahmanen beiseitelässt und hier Śrāddha oder Yajña durch einen anderen Vollzieher ausführen lässt, dem wird dieses Ritual fruchtlos werden.

Word by Word

• मुक्त्वा: having left/abandoned
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: मुच्, अर्थे: त्यक्त्वा/विमोच्य

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• नागरम्: a townsman/urban (person)
• नागरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण

• विप्रम्: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• अन्येन: with another (person)
• अन्येन: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन/सहकारक

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• करिष्यति: will perform/do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• व्यर्थम्: fruitless
• व्यर्थम्: Karya-prakara (predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative adjective)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be/become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (to the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king at a tīrtha prepares śrāddha/yajña; a Nāgara brāhmaṇa stands as the rightful officiant while another outsider priest is respectfully set aside; the atmosphere is solemn, rule-bound, and didactic.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara vipra
• Śrāddha
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual efficacy is tied to dharmic procedure; violating a tīrtha’s established rule undermines the intended merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks from within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context and stresses the place-specific rule (“here”).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

One should not bypass a Nāgara brāhmaṇa for śrāddha/yajña at this place; otherwise the rite yields no fruit.