Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधाः कृताः पंच तथा सम्पूर्णदक्षिणाः । भ्रामयित्वा हयं भूमौ पश्चात्प्राप स सद्गतिम्

Transliteration

aśvamedhāḥ kṛtāḥ paṃca tathā sampūrṇadakṣiṇāḥ | bhrāmayitvā hayaṃ bhūmau paścātprāpa sa sadgatim

Translation

Cinq sacrifices de l’Aśvamedha furent accomplis, eux aussi parfaits avec toutes les offrandes ; après avoir fait errer le cheval sacrificiel sur la terre, il atteignit ensuite l’état véritable et noble.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधाः: Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अश्वस्य मेधः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कृताः: were performed
• कृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘सम्पन्नाः’

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्दः; अत्र विशेषणरूपेण (indeclinable numeral)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ (also/likewise)

• सम्पूर्णदक्षिणाः: with complete sacrificial fees
• सम्पूर्णदक्षिणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्पूर्णा दक्षिणा येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• भ्रामयित्वा: having made (it) wander
• भ्रामयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) णिच् (causative) + क्त्वा
• Form: णिजन्त-क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Causative absolutive), ‘भ्रामयित्वा’ = having caused to roam

• हयम्: the horse
• हयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भूमौ: on the earth
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• प्राप: attained
• प्राप: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सद्गतिम्: good state/destination
• सद्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सत्-गति), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sacrificial horse roams guarded by warriors; banners and drums; later the horse returns to a blazing altar where priests conduct the rite and gifts are distributed—ending with a symbolic ascent to sadgati.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Aśvamedha
• Sacrificial horse

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performed with completeness (including dakṣiṇā) and aligned with dharma is portrayed as leading to elevated spiritual destiny (sadgati).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Aśvamedha sacrifice—sending the horse to roam and completing the rite with full dakṣiṇā.