Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अहंपूर्वमहंपूर्वं प्रविशामि महामखे । इत्यौत्सुक्यसमोपेतास्ता गच्छंति तदा पथि

Transliteration

ahaṃpūrvamahaṃpūrvaṃ praviśāmi mahāmakhe | ityautsukyasamopetāstā gacchaṃti tadā pathi

Translation

“I first! I first shall enter the great sacrifice!”—thus, filled with eager excitement, they then proceeded along the road.

Word by Word

• अहंपूर्वम्: ‘me first’
• अहंपूर्वम्: Vākyopapada (Quoted expression)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन वाक्यांशः: ‘अहमेव पूर्वम्’ (first, me first)

• अहंपूर्वम्: ‘me first’ (again)
• अहंपूर्वम्: Vākyopapada (Quoted expression)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; पुनरुक्तिः—आतुर्य/स्पर्धा सूचयति

• प्रविशामि: I enter
• प्रविशामि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महामखे: in the great sacrifice
• महामखे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय: महान् मखः; अधिकरणम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyapradarśaka (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• औत्सुक्यसमोपेताः: filled with eagerness
• औत्सुक्यसमोपेताः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औत्सुक्य + सम् + उप + इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: औत्सुक्येन समोपेताः (endowed with eagerness)

• ताः: they (those women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• गच्छन्ति: go
• गच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb): ‘then’

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्/पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A road leading to a grand sacrificial arena with banners; celestial women stride forward animatedly, gesturing ‘I first’; dust rises under their feet; the central woman lags slightly, conflicted.

Characters & Entities

• mahāmakha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eagerness for sacred participation is praised, but it should be guided by humility and right order (maryādā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it portrays the impulse to enter the yajña and the movement of the attendants along the path.