Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

निवेश्य च तथा दिव्यं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो न्यवेदयत् । एतद्देवत्रयं क्षेत्रे युष्माकं हि मया कृतम् । भवद्भिः सकला चास्य चिन्ताकार्या सदैव हि

Transliteration

niveśya ca tathā divyaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo nyavedayat | etaddevatrayaṃ kṣetre yuṣmākaṃ hi mayā kṛtam | bhavadbhiḥ sakalā cāsya cintākāryā sadaiva hi

Translation

Nachdem er so die göttlichen Heiligtümer errichtet hatte, teilte er den Brāhmaṇas mit: „Diese Dreiheit der Gottheiten im Kṣetra habe ich für euch gestiftet. Darum sollt ihr alle stets ihre vollständige Pflege und Erhaltung übernehmen.“

Word by Word

• niveśya: having installed/placed
• niveśya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-viś (नि+विश्-धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); अर्थः—स्थापयित्वा/प्रवेशयित्वा

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—रीतिवाचक (in the same way/also)

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण—(अन्तर्भूतं) ‘devatrayam’/‘kāryam’ इत्यर्थे

• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• nyavedayat: informed/announced
• nyavedayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-vid (नि+विद्-धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; अर्थः—न्यवेदयत् = निवेदितवान्/सूचितवान्

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘devatrayam’ इत्यस्य

• devatrayam: the triad of deities
• devatrayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः देवाः)

• kṣetre: in the sacred region
• kṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yuṣmākam: of you/for you (belonging to you)
• yuṣmākam: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/causal)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kṛtam: done/made
• kṛtam: Kriya (Result/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ-धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः—‘कृतम्’

• bhavadbhiḥ: by you (respected sirs)
• bhavadbhiḥ: Karana (Agent/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• sakalā: entire/complete
• sakalā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘cintā’ (अध्याहृत) / ‘cintākāryā’ इत्यर्थे

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• asya: of this/of it
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• cintā-kāryā: to be cared for/attended to
• cintā-kāryā: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (कृ-धातु, ण्यत्/तव्यत्-भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चिन्ता एव कार्यं यस्याः/या) = ‘to be taken care of’; कृदन्त-भावः (कārya = to be done)

• sadaiva: always
• sadaiva: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā + eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—कालवाचक (always) + अवधारण (indeed)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

Speaker

Vidura (speaking to the brāhmaṇas, per verse content)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The patron addresses assembled brāhmaṇas before the newly established shrines, formally entrusting them with the triad’s care; priests hold scriptures and keys, while lamps burn steadily.

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Brāhmaṇas
• Devatraya (triad of deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecration is not the end—ongoing stewardship of a sacred site is itself dharma and sustains the kṣetra’s auspicious power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra where the Devatraya has been installed (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra context in Adhyāya 59).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Delegation of continual service: regular care, protection, and ritual attention for the installed Devatraya.