Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अथर्ववेदे तच्चोक्तं सर्वं चैवाभिचारिकम् । हिताय सर्वलोकानां ब्रह्मणा लोककारिणा

Transliteration

atharvavede taccoktaṃ sarvaṃ caivābhicārikam | hitāya sarvalokānāṃ brahmaṇā lokakāriṇā

Translation

Mais dans l’Atharvaveda, tout ce qui est enseigné—surtout les rites de protection et d’application vigoureuse—fut exposé par Brahmā, artisan des mondes, pour le bien de tous les êtres.

Word by Word

• अथर्ववेदे: in the Atharvaveda
• अथर्ववेदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्ववेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—अथर्व + वेद (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्धारणार्थः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उक्तम्: is said/declared
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/declared’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• अभिचारिकम्: pertaining to sorcery/abhicāra
• अभिचारिकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिचारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘sarvam’)

• हिताय: for the welfare
• हिताय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे दत्तिः

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all worlds/people
• सर्वलोकानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्व + लोक (कर्मधारयः)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• लोककारिणा: the maker/benefactor of the worlds
• लोककारिणा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—लोकस्य कारिन् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); विशेषणम् (of brahmaṇā)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa expounds Atharvavedic protective knowledge, with Brahmā envisioned as the cosmic lawgiver bestowing mantras for the welfare of all beings; pilgrims and townsfolk listen in a tīrtha assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Atharvaveda
• Brahmā
• Abhicāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful ritual technologies are justified when oriented to loka-hita (the welfare of all), not personal malice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in the verse; the surrounding narrative belongs to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya in Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references Atharvavedic abhicāra-type applications as part of the Vedic corpus, framed as intended for universal welfare.