Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एतत्क्षेत्रं प्रदत्तं नः पूर्वेषां च द्विजन्मनाम् । महेश्वरेण तुष्टेन पूरिते सर्पजे बिले

Transliteration

etatkṣetraṃ pradattaṃ naḥ pūrveṣāṃ ca dvijanmanām | maheśvareṇa tuṣṭena pūrite sarpaje bile

Translation

Ce champ sacré fut accordé à nous et à nos ancêtres, les dvija—par Maheśvara qui, satisfait, combla la caverne née du serpent, rendant la terre sûre et propice.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (demonstrative adjective)

• क्षेत्रम्: field; sacred place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• प्रदत्तम्: given; bestowed
• प्रदत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√dā (धाातु) + datta (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘क्षेत्रम्’ इति विशेषण

• नः: of us; to us
• नः: Sampradana/Adhikarana (Recipient/possessor context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• पूर्वेषाम्: of the former/ancestors
• पूर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘द्विजन्मनाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (genitive plural)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi-janman (प्रातिपदिक); dvi + janman
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वे जन्मनी यस्य/येषाम्)

• महेश्वरेण: by Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् ईश्वरः)

• तुष्टेन: being pleased
• तुष्टेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tuṣ (धातु) + tuṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘महेश्वरेण’ इति विशेषण

• पूरिते: filled
• पूरिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pṝ (धातु) + pūrita (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘बिले’ इति विशेषण

• सर्पजे: snake-born; of a serpent
• सर्पजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarpa-ja (प्रातिपदिक); sarpa + ja
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्पात् जातम्/सर्पसम्बन्धि) ‘बिले’ इति विशेषण

• बिले: in the cave/hole
• बिले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual: representative of the Nāgara brāhmaṇas speaking through the message)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara-kṣetra (as implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara, pleased, sanctifies a newly granted field; a dark serpent-cavern is being filled/closed, transforming peril into habitable sacred land while brāhmaṇas witness the boon.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetra
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Dvijas (brāhmaṇas/ancestors)
• Serpent cavern (sarpaja bila)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred lands are upheld by divine grace and inherited dharma; protecting such a kṣetra is a duty owed to Śiva and the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Gartā-tīrtha-linked narrative and glorifies the kṣetra established/secured by Maheśvara’s intervention.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; it asserts divine donation/authorization of the kṣetra (kṣetra-pradāna) and its sanctified origin.