Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

भविष्यथ तथा यूयं होतारः सर्वकर्मसु । न चान्यो ब्राह्मणो बाह्यो यद्यपि स्याद्बृहस्पतिः

Transliteration

bhaviṣyatha tathā yūyaṃ hotāraḥ sarvakarmasu | na cānyo brāhmaṇo bāhyo yadyapi syādbṛhaspatiḥ

Translation

Ebenso sollt ihr selbst in allen diesen Riten die amtierenden Priester (hotṛ) sein; kein anderer Brāhmaṇa von außen wird herangezogen—selbst wenn er dem Bṛhaspati gliche.

Word by Word

• भविष्यथ: you will be
• भविष्यथ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (future; 2nd pl.)

• तथा: thus, accordingly
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• यूयम्: you
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (2nd person pronoun; nom. pl.)

• होतारः: priests (hotṛs/officiants)
• होतारः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

• सर्व-कर्मसु: in all rituals/works
• सर्व-कर्मसु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (neut. loc. pl.); अधिकरण (in all rites)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

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

• अन्यः: any other
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.); विशेषण

• ब्राह्मणः: Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• बाह्यः: outside (excluded)
• बाह्यः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.); विशेषण (excluded/outsider)

• यद्यपि: even if, although
• यद्यपि: Sambandha (Concessive connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; अव्यय (concessive: even if/although)

• स्यात्: should be, were to be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative; 3rd sg.)

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Local devotees/hosts (policy/decision stated to the brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A decisive moment: the patrons formally appoint the assembled brāhmaṇas as hotṛs for all rites, gesturing refusal of any external priest; the brāhmaṇas accept with composed authority.

Characters & Entities

• Hotṛ (officiant)
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithfulness to a duly invited and trusted priesthood is part of ritual integrity; consistency and proper appointment matter in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha milieu, where communal rites are carefully regulated and entrusted to appointed officiants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Appointment of specific hotāraḥ (officiants) for all planned rites, excluding outside priests.