Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

श्रूयंते याज्ञिकानां च यज्ञकर्मसमुद्भवाः । न दुर्भिक्षं न च व्याधिर्नाकालमरणं नृणाम् । न मृत्युः कस्यचित्तत्र पुरे ब्राह्मण सेविते

Transliteration

śrūyaṃte yājñikānāṃ ca yajñakarmasamudbhavāḥ | na durbhikṣaṃ na ca vyādhirnākālamaraṇaṃ nṛṇām | na mṛtyuḥ kasyacittatra pure brāhmaṇa sevite

Translation

ヤジュニャの祭司たちが営む供犠の作法より生じた響きが聞こえていた。飢饉も病もなく、人々に夭死もない。ブラーフマナにより奉仕され支えられたその都では、誰一人として死に遭わなかった。

Word by Word

• श्रूयन्ते: are heard
• श्रूयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: ‘are heard’)

• याज्ञिकानाम्: of the ritualists
• याज्ञिकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्ञिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

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

• यज्ञकर्मसमुद्भवाः: (sounds/recitations) arising from sacrificial rites
• यज्ञकर्मसमुद्भवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + कर्म + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—यज्ञकर्मणः समुद्भवाः (arising from sacrificial rites)

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• दुर्भिक्षम्: famine
• दुर्भिक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निषेधवाक्ये अस्ति-लोपः (no famine [exists])

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

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

• व्याधिः: disease
• व्याधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निषेधवाक्ये अस्ति-लोपः

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• अकालमरणम्: untimely death
• अकालमरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाल + मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—अकालं मरणम् (untimely death)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• न: no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite: ‘of anyone’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘there’)

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणसेविते: served/inhabited by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसेविते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मण + सेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सेवित (served/inhabited); समासः—ब्राह्मणैः सेविते (served by Brahmins)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (city-description in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajñaśālā with ṛtviks chanting; smoke from āhuti rising; outside, a serene city with healthy people, full granaries, and calm streets—no signs of sickness or distress.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Where yajña and brāhmaṇic dharma flourish, the Purāṇas portray nature and society as harmonized—bringing protection, health, and stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A brāhmaṇa-served sacred city within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrthamāhātmya is glorified; the excerpt does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The ongoing performance of yajña (sacrificial rites) by yājñikas is highlighted as sustaining auspiciousness.