Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

अथ ते नागराः सर्वे मर्यादां चक्रिरे ततः । अद्यप्रभृति या वेश्या स्थानेऽस्मिन्वासमेष्यति

Transliteration

atha te nāgarāḥ sarve maryādāṃ cakrire tataḥ | adyaprabhṛti yā veśyā sthāne'sminvāsameṣyati

Translation

その後、町人たちは皆、掟を定めた。「今日より後、この地に住まいを求めて来るいかなる遊女であれ——」

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमार्थक (then)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (they/those)

• नागराः: citizens/townsmen
• नागराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (नागर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘nāgarāḥ’)

• मर्यादाम्: a rule/limit
• मर्यादाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maryādā (मर्यादा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• चक्रिरे: made/established
• चक्रिरे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनन्तरार्थक (thereupon)

• अद्यप्रभृति: from today onward
• अद्यप्रभृति: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya + prabhṛti (अव्यय-समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक अव्यय (from today onward)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun: who/which)

• वेश्या: a courtesan/prostitute
• वेश्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśyā (वेश्या प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (स्थान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (in this)

• वासम्: dwelling/residence
• वासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsa (वास प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• एष्यति: will come/enter
• एष्यति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (इ धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; reporting the citizens’ decision)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gathering of townsmen in council—elders, merchants, and officials—raising hands to proclaim a new ordinance; a herald reads the proclamation at a crossroads near a shrine or city gate.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgarāḥ (citizens)
• Maryādā (ordinance)
• Veśyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld not only personally but socially—communities set boundaries to protect moral order and spiritual well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ordinance is narrated within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it introduces a social rule (maryādā) governing conduct within the settlement.