Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वेदोक्तेः सवनैस्तस्माद्दर्शयंति द्विजोत्तमाः । इष्टं वा यदि वानिष्टं पृच्छमानस्य चा र्थिनः

Transliteration

vedokteḥ savanaistasmāddarśayaṃti dvijottamāḥ | iṣṭaṃ vā yadi vāniṣṭaṃ pṛcchamānasya cā rthinaḥ

Translation

Daher offenbaren die erhabensten Brāhmaṇas dem bittenden Fragenden durch die vedisch vorgeschriebenen Savanas, was zu erstreben ist — oder was zu meiden ist.

Word by Word

• वेदोक्तेः: from the Vedic injunction/statement
• वेदोक्तेः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (वेदस्य उक्तिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• सवनैः: by (means of) savanas/ritual sessions
• सवनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दर्शयन्ति: they show, they indicate
• दर्शयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• इष्टम्: the desired/pleasant (result)
• इष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → इष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (विकल्प-निपात)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• यदि: if
• यदि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय

• वा: or
• वा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (विकल्प-निपात)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• अनिष्टम्: the undesired/unpleasant (result)
• अनिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पृच्छमानस्य: of the one who is asking
• पृच्छमानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + शानच् (कृत्) → पृच्छमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-निपात)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• अर्थिनः: of the petitioner/seeker
• अर्थिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmaśālā savana-practice (Nāgara-khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas perform a restrained Vedic rite (savana): kusa grass, water vessel, small fire or offering setup; then they indicate the outcome to a petitioner with calm certainty.

Characters & Entities

• dvijottamāḥ
• savana (Vedic rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious guidance should be sought through Veda-aligned procedures and qualified brāhmaṇas, not through arbitrary opinion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the tīrtha-assembly’s Vedic functioning rather than a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of Veda-prescribed ‘savana’ observances as a means to disclose favourable or unfavourable outcomes to a sincere petitioner.