Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

शंकुप्रचारं नो बाह्यं तव संपत्स्यते क्वचित् । देवैः सर्वैः समानीता प्रतिष्ठां प्रपितामह

Transliteration

śaṃkupracāraṃ no bāhyaṃ tava saṃpatsyate kvacit | devaiḥ sarvaiḥ samānītā pratiṣṭhāṃ prapitāmaha

Translation

Ton mouvement au-delà des limites marquées par le pieu de mesure n’adviendra jamais ; car tous les dieux ont dûment accompli la consécration et l’établissement, ô Prapitāmaha (Ancêtre suprême).

Word by Word

• शङ्कुप्रचारम्: the movement/usage of the stake (boundary-stake)
• शङ्कुप्रचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कु + प्रचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (our) अधिक-संगत

• बाह्यम्: external/outside
• बाह्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (शङ्कुप्रचारम् इति)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सम्पत्स्यते: will happen/occur
• सम्पत्स्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere/at any time
• क्वचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवैः)

• समानीता: brought/led together
• समानीता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + नी (धातु) → समानीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, (प्रतिष्ठा इति) विशेषण

• प्रतिष्ठाम्: establishment/foundation
• प्रतिष्ठाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रपितामह: O great-grandfather (epithet, esp. Brahmā)
• प्रपितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (deduced: Purāṇic narrator or a deity addressing Brahmā as Prapitāmaha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecration scene: gods gathered around a marked boundary with a stake (śaṅku), priests performing rites; the ‘Prapitāmaha’ (Brahmā) is addressed, with the site shown as firmly anchored, radiating protective geometry.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Prapitāmaha)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha or consecrated sacred presence is protected by divine ordinance; sanctity is maintained through established boundaries and collective divine support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage implies a consecrated sacred establishment within the chapter’s tīrtha context, but the site name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to pratiṣṭhā (ritual establishment/consecration), but does not provide procedural details.