Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कथं शुद्धिः प्रकर्तव्या तस्य सर्वं ब्रवीहि नः । नागरस्य समस्तस्य देशांतरगतस्य च

Transliteration

kathaṃ śuddhiḥ prakartavyā tasya sarvaṃ bravīhi naḥ | nāgarasya samastasya deśāṃtaragatasya ca

Translation

Comment, dès lors, doit s’accomplir sa purification ? Dis-nous tout à ce sujet—tant pour l’ensemble de la communauté Nāgara que pour celui qui est parti vers un autre pays ou une autre région.

Word by Word

• katham: how?
• katham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• śuddhiḥ: purification
• śuddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prakartavyā: is to be done/should be performed
• prakartavyā: Kriya (Predicate obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (Gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शुद्धिः इति कर्तृपदस्य विधेय)

• tasya: of him/of that person
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bravīhi: tell (you)
• bravīhi: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• naḥ: to us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (to us)

• nāgarasya: of a Nāgara
• nāgarasya: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samastasya: entire, whole
• samastasya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• deśāntaragatasya: who has gone to another country/region
• deśāntaragatasya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deśāntara + gata (प्रातिपदिक); (देशान्तरं गतः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (inquiring, as narrated by Viśvāmitra)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (unnamed king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas earnestly ask for the full purification method, explicitly including the case of a Nāgara who has gone to another land; the emotional undertone is anxiety about exclusion and desire for reintegration.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara
• Śuddhi
• Deśāntara (foreign region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma adapts through prescribed procedures: even when one travels or lives elsewhere, purification norms preserve continuity of sacred life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is stated; the inquiry concerns portable dharma—purification rules applicable across regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request is made for the full method of śuddhi, including cases of community-wide purification and individuals residing in other regions.