Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततो यजुःसामसंज्ञामृग्वेदः प्राप भूतये । ऋग्वेदोऽभिहितः पूर्वं यजुःसहस्रशीर्षेति च

Transliteration

tato yajuḥsāmasaṃjñāmṛgvedaḥ prāpa bhūtaye | ṛgvedo'bhihitaḥ pūrvaṃ yajuḥsahasraśīrṣeti ca

Translation

Ensuite, pour la prospérité des êtres, le Ṛgveda fut aussi connu sous les appellations « Yajus » et « Sāman ». On parla d’abord du Ṛgveda ; et l’on enseigna aussi le Yajus commençant par « Sahasraśīrṣa ».

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'thereafter/from that')

• यजुः-साम-संज्ञाम्: the designation 'Yajus/Sāman'
• यजुः-साम-संज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुः (प्रातिपदिक) + साम (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (यजुः-साम) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः संज्ञायाम्

• ऋग्वेदः: the Ṛgveda
• ऋग्वेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋग्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप: attained; obtained
• प्राप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् लकार (परिपूर्ण/परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूतये: for prosperity; for welfare
• भूतये: Sampradana/Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• ऋग्वेदः: the Ṛgveda
• ऋग्वेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋग्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभिहितः: was called; was designated
• अभिहितः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + √धा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (having been called/said)

• पूर्वम्: formerly; first
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: earlier/first)

• यजुः-सहस्र-शीर्ष-इति: (as) 'Yajus—Sahasraśīrṣa'
• यजुः-सहस्र-शीर्ष-इति: Karma (Name/Designation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुः (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभावेन उद्धरण-समास/नामनिर्देशः; 'इति' इत्यनेन वाक्यसमाप्ति-निर्देशः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-teacher in a tīrtha-āśrama instructs disciples: the Ṛgveda is honored first, then Yajus and Sāman are indicated as names/streams for the welfare of beings; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial implements, and a riverbank shrine appear in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Ṛgveda
• Yajurveda (Yajus)
• Sāmaveda (Sāman)
• Sahasraśīrṣa (Puruṣa-sūkta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Vedas are presented as providentially structured for the welfare of the world, supporting dharma through multiple modes of revelation and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is singled out in this verse; it remains part of the broader Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya teaching context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse gestures to Vedic liturgical usage—Yajus and Sāman—especially the Yajus beginning with ‘Sahasraśīrṣa,’ which is foundational for yajña recitation.