Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

जागर्ति महिमा यस्य ब्रह्माद्यैर्नैव लिख्यते । पंचायतनमेतद्धि पूज्यते गृहमेधिभिः

Transliteration

jāgarti mahimā yasya brahmādyairnaiva likhyate | paṃcāyatanametaddhi pūjyate gṛhamedhibhiḥ

Translation

Die Größe dieser heiligen Ordnung ist wach und offenbar, und doch vermögen selbst Brahmā und die anderen sie nicht vollständig zu beschreiben. Wahrlich, dies ist das Pañcāyatana, die fünffache Hausverehrung, die von Haushaltern zu ehren ist.

Word by Word

• जागर्ति: shines/awakens
• जागर्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महिमा: greatness, glory
• महिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ब्रह्माद्यैः: by Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (agent: ‘by Brahmā and others’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• एव: even/indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• लिख्यते: is written/described
• लिख्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• पंचायतनम्: the five-shrine set (pañcāyatana)
• पंचायतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-आयतन (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च=five, आयतन=abode/shrine)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• गृहमेधिभिः: by householders
• गृहमेधिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (agent: ‘by householders’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcāyatana (as a sacred worship-system rather than a single physical tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pañcāyatana altar with five icons arranged symmetrically; a householder couple performs ārati; the scene conveys ‘manifest greatness’ beyond description.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Pañcāyatana
• Gṛhamedhin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder worship, when harmonized as pañcāyatana, carries a greatness that transcends ordinary description.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse glorifies a worship-system (pañcāyatana) within the broader tīrtha-centered dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Householders are enjoined to worship through the pañcāyatana framework (fivefold domestic sanctum/devotional set).