Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

पूर्ववच्चैव कर्तव्यो वेदिमंडपयोर्विधिः । परं होमः प्रकर्तव्यो गायत्र्या केवलं नृप

Transliteration

pūrvavaccaiva kartavyo vedimaṃḍapayorvidhiḥ | paraṃ homaḥ prakartavyo gāyatryā kevalaṃ nṛpa

Translation

Just as before, the prescribed procedure for the altar and pavilion should be performed. Then the homa is to be done—only with the Gāyatrī, O King.

Word by Word

• पूर्ववत्: as before
• पूर्ववत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrvavat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तुलनार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as before')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• कर्तव्यः: to be done/should be performed
• कर्तव्यः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kartavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular); विधेयकृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory) ‘to be done’

• वेदीमण्डपयोः: of the altar and the pavilion
• वेदीमण्डपयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedī-maṇḍapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी/सप्तमी (Gen./Loc.), द्विवचन (dual); द्वन्द्व-समासः (वेदी च मण्डपश्च)

• विधिः: the procedure/rite
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• परम्: then/further
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'further/then')

• होमः: fire-offering (homa)
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रकर्तव्यः: should be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु) → prakartavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular); विधेयकृदन्त (gerundive) ‘to be done/should be performed’ with उपसर्ग pra-

• गायत्र्या: with the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्र्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'only/merely')

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic teacher addressing a King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (with Kapāleśvara-kṣetra context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king and priests in a tīrtha precinct prepare a vedi and a decorated maṇḍapa; a controlled homa fire burns while the officiant recites Gāyatrī, offering āhuti with measured gestures.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• homa
• vedi
• maṇḍapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is strengthened by disciplined simplicity: the homa is sanctified through exclusive reliance on the Gāyatrī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya and is associated with Kapāleśvara in the surrounding context; this verse focuses on rite details.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Construct/prepare the vedi and maṇḍapa as previously taught, then perform homa using only the Gāyatrī mantra.