Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच । अत्र ये ब्राह्मणाः केचिन्निवसंति हुताशन । वसोर्द्धाराप्रदानेन ते त्वां नक्तंदिनं सदा

Transliteration

śrībrahmovāca | atra ye brāhmaṇāḥ kecinnivasaṃti hutāśana | vasorddhārāpradānena te tvāṃ naktaṃdinaṃ sadā

Translation

Śrī Brahmā sprach: „O Hutāśana (Feuer), hier wohnen einige Brāhmaṇas. Durch die Darbringung der ‘vasordhārā’ (eines ununterbrochenen Ghee-Stromes) werden sie dich stets nähren und sättigen, bei Nacht und bei Tag.“

Word by Word

• श्रीब्रह्मा: the venerable Brahmā
• श्रीब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (श्रीमान् ब्रह्मा); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

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

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; ये इति सर्वनामस्य विशेष्य

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite: some)

• निवसन्ति: dwell, reside
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• हुताशन: O Fire (Agni)
• हुताशन: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत + अशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (हुतं अश्नाति इति/हुतस्य अशना = fire); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• वसोः: of wealth
• वसोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• धारा-प्रदानेन: by the offering/giving in a stream
• धारा-प्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (धारायाः प्रदानम् = giving in a stream); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• नक्तम्-दिनम्: night and day
• नक्तम्-दिनम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नक्तम् (अव्यय) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (नक्तं च दिनं च = night and day); अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial sense: day and night)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक (adverb: always)

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agni (Hutāśana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā addresses Agni at a tīrtha: brāhmaṇas in a yajña-śālā pour a continuous stream of ghee (vasordhārā) into a bright, steady flame through day and night.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Hutāśana (Agni)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Vasordhārā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, faithful ritual giving—especially offerings into sacred fire—sustains dharma and brings continuous spiritual nourishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context of “this place (atra)”; the specific tirtha name is not stated in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vasordhārā-pradāna: offering a continuous stream of ghee/oblations into Agni, day and night (as an ideal of uninterrupted worship).