Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वासोभिर्मुकुटैश्चैव केयूरैः समलंकृतान् । कृत्वा केशपरित्यागं दधत्कृष्णाजिनं तथा

Transliteration

vāsobhirmukuṭaiścaiva keyūraiḥ samalaṃkṛtān | kṛtvā keśaparityāgaṃ dadhatkṛṣṇājinaṃ tathā

Translation

He adorned them with garments, crowns, and armlets; and, having them renounce their hair as a rite of consecration, he also had them wear black antelope-skins.

Word by Word

• वासोभिः: with garments
• वासोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); बहुवचन — Neuter; Instrumental case; Plural

• मुकुटैः: with crowns
• मुकुटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुकुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); बहुवचन — Masculine; Instrumental; Plural

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• केयूरैः: with armlets
• केयूरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केयूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण); बहुवचन — Neuter; Instrumental; Plural

• समलंकृतान्: adorned
• समलंकृतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अलं√कृ (धातु) → समलंकृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन — Past passive participle; Masculine; Accusative; Plural

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — having done

• केशपरित्यागम्: abandonment of hair (tonsure)
• केशपरित्यागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + परित्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (केशानां परित्यागः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — Genitive tatpurusha; Masculine; Accusative; Singular

• दधत्: wearing
• दधत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √धा (धातु) → दधत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्तरि कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन — Present active participle; Masculine; Accusative; Plural

• कृष्णाजिनम्: a black antelope-skin
• कृष्णाजिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अजिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास (कृष्णं अजिनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन — Karmadharaya; Neuter; Accusative; Singular

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Purāṇic narration in Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecrating preceptor adorns initiates with garments, crowns, and armlets; their hair is ritually cut/renounced; black antelope-skins are donned as dīkṣā insignia in a yajña precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Consecrated ṛtviks (implied)
• kṛṣṇājina
• mukuṭa
• keyūra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer disciplines (dīkṣā marks) support inner purity, helping the mind align with the sanctity of the tīrtha and the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya yajña narrative; the tīrtha is implied as the consecration-ground rather than explicitly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīkṣā-style preparation: shaving/renouncing hair and wearing kṛṣṇājina, along with ceremonial adornments.