Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततो निःक्षत्रिये लोके कृत्वा हयमखं च सः । प्रायच्छत्सकलामुर्वीं ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च दक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

tato niḥkṣatriye loke kṛtvā hayamakhaṃ ca saḥ | prāyacchatsakalāmurvīṃ brāhmaṇebhyaśca dakṣiṇām

Translation

Dann, als die Welt ohne Kṣatriyas war, vollzog er das Pferdeopfer (Aśvamedha) und schenkte den Brāhmaṇas die ganze Erde samt der rituellen Gaben (dakṣiṇā).

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक

• निःक्षत्रिये: in a kṣatriya-less
• निःक्षत्रिये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of locus)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःक्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• लोके: world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• हयमखम्: horse-sacrifice (aśvamedha)
• हयमखम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय + मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हयानां मखः)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• प्रायच्छत्: gave
• प्रायच्छत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सकलाम्: entire
• सकलाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• उर्वीम्: earth/land
• उर्वीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• दक्षिणाम्: ritual fee/gift
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aśvamedha setting: sacrificial enclosure, horse with ceremonial ornaments, priests chanting; Paraśurāma offers the earth symbolically—maps/soil in a golden vessel—along with dakṣiṇā to brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma (implied)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Hayamakha (Aśvamedha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power is completed by generosity: yajña is paired with dāna and dakṣiṇā, affirming the Purāṇic ethic of redistribution and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s sacred setting remains tied to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, within whose māhātmya the narrative unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of hayamakha (Aśvamedha) and the giving of dakṣiṇā—along with the gifting of land/earth to brāhmaṇas.