Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यज्ञोपवीतमात्राणि कृत्वा स्थानानि चात्मनः । क्षेत्रमासादयामासुस्तत्सर्वहि द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

yajñopavītamātrāṇi kṛtvā sthānāni cātmanaḥ | kṣetramāsādayāmāsustatsarvahi dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Indem sie für sich ihre jeweiligen Stätten festlegten, einzig durch das Yajñopavīta (heilige Schnur) gekennzeichnet, gelangten sie alle zu jenem Kṣetra—o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen.

Word by Word

• यज्ञोपवीतमात्राणि: only the sacred threads (as minimal belongings)
• यज्ञोपवीतमात्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञोपवीत-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयभावः (यज्ञोपवीतस्य मात्रम्)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• स्थानानि: abodes/places
• स्थानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• आत्मनः: of themselves
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आसादयामासुः: reached/arrived at
• आसादयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु) (आसादयति)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect; periphrastic/आमास-प्रयोग), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (क्षेत्रम्)

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (तत्/क्षेत्रम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the Ṛṣis (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (tīrtha-sthāna-sanniveśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the kṣetra, multiple small sanctified spots are established like a mandala; each station bears a symbolic yajñopavīta motif (white thread loop) as a sign, while the tīrtha-deities settle calmly into their allotted places.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama (addressed audience)
• Sarva-tīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred order is maintained even in pilgrimage space—each sanctity has its place, marked by dharmic symbols.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hāṭakeśvara kṣetra, approached and organized as the gathering-ground of tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it alludes to yajñopavīta as a dharmic marker while describing the establishment of stations.