Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तद्भवंतः प्रकुर्वंतु प्राधान्येन यदृच्छया । क्षेत्रेऽत्रैवाभिमुख्येन प्रासादान्सुमनोहरान् । यथाज्येष्ठं यथाश्रेष्ठं पृथक्त्वेन व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

tadbhavaṃtaḥ prakurvaṃtu prādhānyena yadṛcchayā | kṣetre'traivābhimukhyena prāsādānsumanoharān | yathājyeṣṭhaṃ yathāśreṣṭhaṃ pṛthaktvena vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

“Therefore, let each of you proceed—according to precedence, as circumstances allow—right here in this kṣetra, and build exceedingly beautiful temples, each situated separately, in keeping with seniority and excellence.”

Word by Word

• तत्: therefore, so
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (discourse deictic): ‘therefore/so/then’

• भवन्तः: you (honoured ones)
• भवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: आदरार्थक सर्वनामवत्: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्तु: let (them/you) do, please undertake
• प्रकुर्वन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (आज्ञार्थे)

• प्राधान्येन: by precedence, primarily
• प्राधान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prādhānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; भाववाचक—‘by priority/according to precedence’

• यदृच्छया: as it happens; at will
• यदृच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘by chance/as one wishes’

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred area
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (deictic adverb): ‘here’

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): emphasis ‘indeed/just’

• अभिमुख्येन: with facing/orientation
• अभिमुख्येन: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhimukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग (भाव/विशेषण-प्रयोग), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘with facing/with orientation’

• प्रासादान्: palaces/temples
• प्रासादान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• सुमनोहरान्: very beautiful, charming
• सुमनोहरान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + मनोहर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (सु-मनॊहराः = अत्यन्तं मनोहराः); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; qualifies प्रासादान्

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb): ‘according to/as’

• ज्येष्ठम्: by seniority
• ज्येष्ठम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/क्रियाविशेषणवत्: नपुंसक एकवचन रूपेण ‘according to seniority’

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb): ‘according to/as’

• श्रेष्ठम्: by excellence/rank
• श्रेष्ठम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/क्रियाविशेषणवत्: नपुंसक एकवचन रूपेण ‘according to excellence/rank’

• पृथक्त्वेन: separately
• पृथक्त्वेन: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthaktva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; भाववाचक—‘separately/with separateness’

• व्यवस्थिताः: being arranged/standing in order
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+अव+स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (क्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; agrees with भवन्तः

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (advising the kings)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas prescribe a planned temple complex: each king builds a distinct, beautiful prāsāda within the same kṣetra, arranged by seniority and excellence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma expresses itself as orderly sacred service—building shrines with humility, proper arrangement, and respect for precedence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription: construct attractive prāsādas within the kṣetra, arranged separately and according to precedence/seniority.