Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र उवाच । ते सर्वे गुणसंपन्ना यथान्ये नागरास्तथा । विशेषश्चापरस्तेषां ते शक्रेण प्रतिष्ठिताः

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca | te sarve guṇasaṃpannā yathānye nāgarāstathā | viśeṣaścāparasteṣāṃ te śakreṇa pratiṣṭhitāḥ

Translation

Viśvāmitra sprach: „Sie sind alle mit Tugenden ausgestattet, genau wie andere Nāgaras. Doch sie haben eine weitere Auszeichnung: Sie wurden von Śakra (Indra) eingesetzt.“

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• गुणसंपन्नाः: endowed with qualities
• गुणसंपन्नाः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक; from सम्+पद्/पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (determinative): 'गुणैः संपन्नाः' = endowed with virtues

• यथा: as, just like
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (comparative: 'as')

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नागराः: Nāgaras
• नागराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (so, likewise)

• विशेषः: distinction, special feature
• विशेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (and)

• अपरः: another, additional
• अपरः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठिताः: were established
• प्रतिष्ठिताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'established/installed'

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta (and accompanying inquirers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra speaks, pointing upward as Indra is envisioned in the sky with vajra and a radiant aura, symbolically ‘installing’ or blessing a group of Nāgara brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Śakra
• Indra
• Nāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Virtue is essential, and divine sanction in Purāṇic narratives serves to highlight and protect dharmic communities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in the verse; it introduces a legend involving Indra’s establishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it states a historical-mythic ‘establishment’ (pratiṣṭhā) by Śakra.