Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एवं शाखाऽगमं ज्ञात्वा तस्य सर्वं यथाक्रमम् । मूलवंशादधिष्ठानं न्यग्रोधस्येव सर्वतः

Transliteration

evaṃ śākhā'gamaṃ jñātvā tasya sarvaṃ yathākramam | mūlavaṃśādadhiṣṭhānaṃ nyagrodhasyeva sarvataḥ

Translation

Ainsi, ayant appris selon l’ordre toute la ramification de la lignée de cette famille, qu’on l’établisse sur la souche originelle, tel le banyan dont l’appui se déploie de partout à partir de la racine.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus’)

• शाखा: branch
• शाखा: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (पदच्छेदे ‘शाखा-’ पूर्वपद)

• अगमम्: the lineage/sequence of branches
• अगमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘शाखायाः अगमः’/‘शाखा-अगमः’ = genealogy/line of branches)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having known’

• तस्य: of that (line/person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (object of implied ‘to know/consider’)

• यथाक्रमम्: in proper sequence
• यथाक्रमम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय (adverb): ‘in due order’

• मूलवंशात्: from the root lineage
• मूलवंशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘मूलस्य वंशः’)

• अधिष्ठानम्: foundation, base
• अधिष्ठानम्: Karta/Pratijna (Subject/predicate base)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhiṣṭhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate/subject)

• न्यग्रोधस्य: of the banyan tree
• न्यग्रोधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyagrodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (comparative particle)

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Desha (Adverbial location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: ‘on all sides/everywhere’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A banyan tree dominates the scene, its vast canopy and aerial roots symbolizing branching descent; beneath it, a priest points from the trunk (mūla) to branching lines on a genealogical diagram.

Characters & Entities

• śākhā (branch)
• mūla-vaṃśa (root lineage)
• nyagrodha (banyan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A stable spiritual and ritual life depends on clear roots—orderly knowledge of one’s foundations supports all later acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Confirm the full genealogical branching in sequence and ground the procedure upon the verified root lineage.