Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आदित्यानां वसूनां च रुद्राणां मरुतामपि । यज्ञभागकृते विप्राः शुक्रशासनमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

ādityānāṃ vasūnāṃ ca rudrāṇāṃ marutāmapi | yajñabhāgakṛte viprāḥ śukraśāsanamāśritāḥ

Translation

Zur Zuweisung der Opferanteile, die den Ādityas, den Vasus, den Rudras und auch den Maruts gebühren, handelten die Brāhmaṇas nach der Satzung und Leitung Śukras.

Word by Word

• आदित्यानाम्: of the Ādityas
• आदित्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वसूनाम्: of the Vasus
• वसूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• रुद्राणाम्: of the Rudras
• रुद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मरुताम्: of the Maruts
• मरुताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• यज्ञभागकृते: for the sake of the sacrificial share
• यज्ञभागकृते: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + भाग + कृ (प्रातिपदिक); कृते (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य भागः) + कृते (for the sake of)

• विप्राः: the Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शुक्रशासनम्: Śukra's command/authority
• शुक्रशासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्र + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शुक्रस्य शासनम्)

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge in / having resorted to
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past participle) — ‘having resorted to’

Speaker

Narrator (implied Purāṇic narration; explicit speaker not stated in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas in a celestial sacrificial hall allocate yajña portions to deva-groups, but under Śukra’s command; offerings arranged, fire altar blazing, deva emblems present yet authority shifted.

Characters & Entities

• Ādityas
• Vasus
• Rudras
• Maruts
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)
• Śukra (Śukrācārya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual distribution (yajña-bhāga) reflects cosmic hierarchy; when authority shifts, the sacrificial order itself becomes contested.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya sequence within Nāgara Khaṇḍa, though it discusses yajña administration rather than a local tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references yajña-bhāga—allocation of offerings/shares to divine groups—under Śukra’s directive.