Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अंत्यजत्वं गतस्यापि त्रिशंकोः पृथिवीपतेः । यज्ञभागभुजो देवाः प्रत्यक्षेण विनिर्मिताः

Transliteration

aṃtyajatvaṃ gatasyāpi triśaṃkoḥ pṛthivīpateḥ | yajñabhāgabhujo devāḥ pratyakṣeṇa vinirmitāḥ

Translation

„Selbst für Triśaṅku, den Herrn der Erde, der in den Zustand eines Ausgestoßenen gefallen war, wurden die Götter—Empfänger der Opferanteile des Yajña—leibhaftig vor Augen offenbar.“

Word by Word

• aṃtyajatvam: outcaste-status
• aṃtyajatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃtyajatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gatasya: of (him) who had gone to/attained
• gatasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of one who has gone/attained’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (even)

• triśaṃkoḥ: of Triśaṅku
• triśaṃkoḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: triśaṃku (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pṛthivīpateḥ: of the lord of the earth (king)
• pṛthivīpateḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pṛthivyāḥ patiḥ)

• yajñabhāga-bhujaḥ: partakers of sacrificial shares
• yajñabhāga-bhujaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuj (धातु/प्रातिपदिक bhuja)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (yajñabhāgaṃ bhuñjate iti)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• pratyakṣeṇa: directly, with direct perception
• pratyakṣeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• vinirmitāḥ: were created/produced
• vinirmitāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियापद-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-nir-mā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ‘were created’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triśaṅku–Viśvāmitra sambandhita tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disgraced king Triśaṅku stands near a sacrificial arena; Viśvāmitra’s tejas compels devas to appear ‘before the eyes’—a dramatic epiphany scene.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Triśaṅku
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a grievously fallen person can become the occasion for divine intervention when a powerful dharmic force (tapas/ṛṣi-śakti) operates.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s tīrtha is praised through the Triśaṅku episode, implying a place sanctified by extraordinary, visible divine events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references yajña and the gods’ sacrificial portions but does not prescribe a specific rite.