Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि स्वशाखायाः स्मृतं नृप । स्वदेशवर्णजातीयं यथा स्यादत्र निर्वृतिः

Transliteration

ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi svaśākhāyāḥ smṛtaṃ nṛpa | svadeśavarṇajātīyaṃ yathā syādatra nirvṛtiḥ

Translation

Nun, o König, werde ich darlegen, was in der eigenen vedischen Schule (śākhā) überliefert ist, zusammen mit den Bräuchen, die Land, varṇa und Gemeinschaft entsprechen, damit hier rechte Genugtuung und Richtigkeit herrschen.

Word by Word

• अतः: thereafter/therefore
• अतः: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थक (therefore/thereafter)

• परम्: further, next
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (further/next)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वशाखायाः: of (one’s) own śākhā
• स्वशाखायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of one’s own branch (Vedic school)’

• स्मृतम्: what is prescribed/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘स्मृत’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘remembered/recorded (in smṛti)’

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• स्वदेशवर्णजातीयम्: according to one’s own country and varṇa-group
• स्वदेशवर्णजातीयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + जातीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (स्मृतम्)

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunctive/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/उद्देश्यवाचक (so that/as)

• स्यात्: may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deshadhikarana (Locative adverb/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here)

• निर्वृतिः: satisfaction/settlement
• निर्वृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage points to different manuscripts/recension scrolls labeled by śākhā, while attendants bring regional offerings; the king listens as ‘local custom’ and ‘Vedic branch’ are reconciled.

Characters & Entities

• Śākhā
• Varṇa
• Jāti
• Deśa (region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is both universal and contextual: śrāddha should respect core principles while aligning with one’s śākhā and legitimate local tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The site-context remains Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, though the verse itself discusses ritual adaptability rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes that śrāddha details be followed according to one’s Vedic śākhā and appropriate regional/communal norms.