Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

कात्यायनोऽपि तां सर्वां दृष्ट्वा चक्रे सहस्रशः । तदा विश्वहितार्थाय शालाकर्मादि पूर्विकाम्

Transliteration

kātyāyano'pi tāṃ sarvāṃ dṛṣṭvā cakre sahasraśaḥ | tadā viśvahitārthāya śālākarmādi pūrvikām

Translation

Kātyāyana aussi, ayant vu l’ensemble de ce rite, l’accomplit des milliers de fois pour le bien du monde entier, en commençant par les actes préliminaires tels que le śālā-karman et autres.

Word by Word

• कात्यायनः: Kātyāyana
• कात्यायनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kātyāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = also

• ताम्: that (thing)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वाम्: entire
• सर्वाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ताम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having seen

• चक्रे: made / performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (आत्मनेपद) = Perfect; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सहस्रशः: in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sankhya/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = 'in thousands/many times'

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = then/at that time

• विश्वहितार्थाय: for the welfare-purpose of the world
• विश्वहितार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + hita + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-भाव): 'विश्वस्य हितस्य अर्थाय' = for the purpose of the welfare of the world; पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

• शालाकर्मादि: beginning with peg-work etc.
• शालाकर्मादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālā + karma + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: 'शालाकर्म' (work of stakes/pegs) + 'आदि' (etc.); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (contextually as qualifier of an implied noun; here used adjectivally with 'पूर्विकाम्')

• पूर्विकाम्: as a preliminary / preceded by
• पूर्विकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrvikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण = 'having as a preliminary/preceded by' (qualifying an implied feminine noun like 'क्रिया/विधि')

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice; implied for this section)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāstu-pada (kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kātyāyana, inspired by what he sees, performs the rite innumerable times, beginning with śālā-karman—ritual pavilion construction, protective boundaries, and repeated offerings for universal welfare.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyana
• Vāstu (rite)
• Śālā-karman (preliminary rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-oriented ritual is not merely personal—it can be undertaken for lokahita, the welfare of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred field of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra where the Vāstu-pada’s greatness is narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Repeating the Vāstu rite with proper preliminaries, including śālā-karman and related preparatory actions.