Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मनुष्योरगरक्षांसि वीरुधो वृक्षसंयुताः । सप्तर्षयो ध्रुवाद्याश्च ये चान्ये गगनेचराः

Transliteration

manuṣyoragarakṣāṃsi vīrudho vṛkṣasaṃyutāḥ | saptarṣayo dhruvādyāśca ye cānye gaganecarāḥ

Translation

Erschaffen wurden Menschen, Nāgas und Rākṣasas; ebenso Pflanzen samt den Bäumen. Die Sieben Ṛṣi, Dhruva und andere, und alle weiteren Wesen, die am Himmel wandeln.

Word by Word

• मनुष्य: men, humans
• मनुष्य: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• उरगरक्षांसि: serpents and demons (rakṣasas)
• उरगरक्षांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरग (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• वीरुधः: creepers, plants
• वीरुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वृक्षसंयुताः: joined with trees, accompanied by trees
• वृक्षसंयुताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त; सम्+युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); वृक्षैः संयुताः = वृक्ष-संयुताः (तत्पुरुष)

• सप्तर्षयः: the seven sages
• सप्तर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); द्विगु-समास (numerical)

• ध्रुवाद्याः: Dhruva and others
• ध्रुवाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ध्रुव-आद्याः = ध्रुवाद्याः (तत्पुरुष: ‘beginning with Dhruva’)

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

• ये: who, those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गगनेचराः: sky-goers, celestial beings
• गगनेचराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); गगने चरन्ति इति (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic cosmogenesis tableau: from a luminous source emerge humans, nāgas, rākṣasas, and the vegetal world; above, the Saptaṛṣi constellation and Dhruva shine as fixed anchors while other sky-moving beings traverse the firmament.

Characters & Entities

• Humans
• Nāgas/Serpents
• Rākṣasas
• Saptarṣi
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All classes of beings and cosmic markers (like Dhruva and the Saptarṣis) are woven into dharmic order; the tīrtha narrative frames creation as sacred history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The site is implicitly the water/region where the tapas-driven creation unfolds; the proper name is not present in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.