Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वर्त्तंते ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः श्रुतिरेषा पुरातनी । एतद्युगप्रमाणं तु यः पठेद्भक्तिसंयुतः

Transliteration

varttaṃte brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ śrutireṣā purātanī | etadyugapramāṇaṃ tu yaḥ paṭhedbhaktisaṃyutaḥ

Translation

Ainsi en est-il, ô meilleurs des brāhmanes : telle est une antique tradition sacrée. Quiconque récite avec dévotion cet exposé des mesures des yuga en recueille le mérite.

Word by Word

• वर्तन्ते: proceed/are in practice
• वर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः: O best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ब्राह्मण + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते (used as address)

• श्रुतिः: the śruti/tradition
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एषा: this
• एषा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुरातनी: ancient
• पुरातनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• युगप्रमाणम्: the measure/standard of the yuga
• युगप्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग-प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक; युग + प्रमाण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-निपात

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• पठेत्: should recite/read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भक्तिसंयुतः: endowed with devotion
• भक्तिसंयुतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति-संयुत (प्रातिपदिक; भक्ति + संयुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrative voice (Purāṇic exposition; vocative suggests address to sages/brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis (addressed as brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned assembly of brāhmaṇas listening as the narrator affirms an ancient śruti-tradition; palm-leaf manuscripts and a sacred setting evoke the authority of yuga-measures.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional study of sacred teachings is itself a dharmic act that yields merit and right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger frame is the Hāṭakeśvara sacred region, but this verse highlights the merit of recitation rather than a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation/reading (pāṭha) of the yugapramāṇa teaching with bhakti.