Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

प्रधानत्वेन सर्वेषां नागरैश्चापि कृत्स्नशः । तेन ते गौरवं प्राप्ताः स्थानेत्रैव विशेषतः

Transliteration

pradhānatvena sarveṣāṃ nāgaraiścāpi kṛtsnaśaḥ | tena te gauravaṃ prāptāḥ sthānetraiva viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Parce que les Nāgara détiennent la primauté sur tous (les groupes) en tout point, ils ont obtenu l’honneur—tout particulièrement en ce lieu même.

Word by Word

• प्रधानत्वेन: by (their) pre-eminence
• प्रधानत्वेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna + tva (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नागरैः: by the Nāgaras
• नागरैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Modifier (विशेषक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also’

• कृत्स्नशः: entirely
• कृत्स्नशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsnaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb), ‘entirely/altogether’

• तेन: thereby/for that reason
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गौरवम्: honour/respect
• गौरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्ताः: attained/obtained
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्थाने: in (their) place/status
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्र: here/indeed
• त्र: Discourse marker (वाक्योपपादक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), ‘here/indeed’ (emphatic/locative nuance)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Modifier (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (to the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal court-sabhā where Viśvāmitra proclaims the primacy and honor of the Nāgaras; the king’s attendants and local brāhmaṇas stand in dignified rows, with a subtle indication of the sacred locale (banner/insignia of the kṣetra).

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara (Nāgara-brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is contextualized through sacred geography: certain communities are assigned ritual precedence within a tīrtha’s tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya locale is implied; this verse itself highlights “this very place” without naming it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates precedence (pradhānatva) in ritual contexts, supporting later prescriptions about whom to employ for rites.