Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वृत्त्यर्थमस्य देवस्य लक्षं होमेऽत्र कल्प्यताम् । लक्षं तु सर्वविप्राणां प्रायश्चित्तविशुद्धये

Transliteration

vṛttyarthamasya devasya lakṣaṃ home'tra kalpyatām | lakṣaṃ tu sarvaviprāṇāṃ prāyaścittaviśuddhaye

Translation

«Pour l’entretien et le service de cette divinité, qu’on prépare ici un homa de cent mille oblations. Et que ces cent mille soient aussi offertes pour la purification du prāyaścitta de tous les vipras (brāhmanes).»

Word by Word

• वृत्त्यर्थम्: for livelihood/maintenance
• वृत्त्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृत्तेः अर्थः/वृत्त्यर्थः)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लक्षम्: a lakh (100,000)
• लक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (अत्र कर्मरूपेण)

• होमे: in the homa (fire-offering)
• होमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कल्प्यताम्: let it be arranged/ordained
• कल्प्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• लक्षम्: a lakh
• लक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति; कर्मरूपेण)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• सर्वविप्राणाम्: of all the Brahmins
• सर्वविप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वे विप्राः)

• प्रायश्चित्तविशुद्धये: for the purification of expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तविशुद्धये: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रायश्चित्तस्य विशुद्धिः)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (contextual; ritual prescription)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣpāditya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand fire-altar with priests offering continuous oblations, counting toward a lakṣa; offerings piled, ladles raised, smoke rising in disciplined columns; deity shrine nearby receiving the rite’s merit.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (unspecified deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action (homa) is framed as both service to the deity and a means of communal purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is a tīrtha-glorification, but this verse does not specify the site by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A lakṣa-homa—100,000 oblations—ordained for the deity’s maintenance and for prāyaścitta purification.