Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्देयं तेन तालत्रयं द्विजाः

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇāddeyaṃ tena tālatrayaṃ dvijāḥ

Translation

C’est pour cette raison même, ô deux-fois-nés, que le « tālatraya » doit être offert.

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• कारणात्: from the reason/cause
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• देयम्: to be given; should be given
• देयम्: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• तेन: by that; therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• तालत्रयम्: a set of three tālas
• तालत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure in a tīrtha assembly instructs twice-born pilgrims to offer a specific threefold gift (tālatraya), with ritual vessels and palm/leaf symbolism suggesting ‘tāla’.

Characters & Entities

• tālatraya
• dvijāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through small but meaningful disciplines that restrain inner vices and protect the sanctity of sacred institutions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement concludes a procedural teaching within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-mahātmya milieu; it does not specify a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear injunction: the mediator’s threefold token/fee (tālatraya) is to be given, as explained in the preceding verses.