Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

ग्रहेभ्यो दोषमुक्तेभ्यः श्रूयतां वचनं मम । मासिमासि प्रकुर्वंति होमं ते षोडश द्विजाः

Transliteration

grahebhyo doṣamuktebhyaḥ śrūyatāṃ vacanaṃ mama | māsimāsi prakurvaṃti homaṃ te ṣoḍaśa dvijāḥ

Translation

“Listen to my words regarding those planets that are free from fault: month after month, those sixteen Brahmins perform the homa.”

Word by Word

• ग्रहेभ्यः: to the planets
• ग्रहेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative/4th), बहुवचनम्

• दोषमुक्तेभ्यः: freed from दोष (fault)
• दोषमुक्तेभ्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोष + मुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘दोषात् मुक्ताः’ (freed from fault)

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम् (passive/impersonal sense: ‘let it be heard’)

• वचनम्: statement / words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अत्र कर्मरूपे (object of ‘hear’)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-शब्दः

• मासि: in a month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• मासि: in (each) month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्त्या ‘मासि मासि’ (each month)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• होमम्: fire-offering
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम-शब्दः

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; अत्र विशेषणम् (indeclinable-like numeral used adjectivally)

• द्विजाः: twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Vahni (Agni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (Brahmins)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni instructs the sages while indicating a disciplined circle of sixteen Brahmins performing monthly homa—ladles raised, offerings ready, fire steady—suggesting an established ritual institution.

Characters & Entities

• Grahas (Navagraha)
• Ṣoḍaśa Dvijas (sixteen Brahmins)
• Homa
• Vahni (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic disturbances are addressed through disciplined, recurring ritual (homa) and not through emotional reactions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative of Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse emphasizes the monthly rite rather than identifying a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A recurring monthly homa conducted by sixteen Brahmins, framed as part of graha-śānti practice.