Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । पुरा प्रजापतिर्दक्षस्तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे सुशोभने । चकार विधिवद्यज्ञं संपूर्णवरदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | purā prajāpatirdakṣastasminkṣetre suśobhane | cakāra vidhivadyajñaṃ saṃpūrṇavaradakṣiṇam

Translation

Dijo Sūta: «En tiempos antiguos, Prajāpati Dakṣa, en aquella espléndida región sagrada, celebró un sacrificio conforme al rito, completo con excelentes dakṣiṇā (dones sacerdotales).»

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Sambodhana/वक्ता-निर्देश (Speaker tag)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya/क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikaraṇa/कालाधिकरण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati
• प्रजापतिः: Karta/कर्ता (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta/कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुशोभने: very beautiful
• सुशोभने: Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘क्षेत्रे’)

• चकार: performed, did
• चकार: Kriya/क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma/कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संपूर्णवरदक्षिणम्: with complete and excellent priestly fees (dakṣiṇā)
• संपूर्णवरदक्षिणम्: Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण + वर + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—(संपूर्णा वरदक्षिणा यस्य सः/तत्) ‘यज्ञम्’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa presides over a radiant yajña-śālā in a beautiful kṣetra; altars, kuśa, ladles, and heaps of dakṣiṇā are arranged; priests chant while fires blaze steadily.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Prajāpati Dakṣa
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action performed according to dharma—especially yajña with proper dakṣiṇā—is portrayed as sanctifying and world-ordering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘splendid kṣetra’ within Nāgarakhaṇḍa where Dakṣa’s yajña is said to have been performed, forming the setting for the ensuing māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform yajña according to injunctions (vidhivat) and complete it with appropriate dakṣiṇā (ritual gifts).