Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

युष्माकं वर्तनार्थाय सर्वकृत्येषु सर्वदा । एते विप्रा मया दत्ता गर्तातीर्थसमुद्भवाः

Transliteration

yuṣmākaṃ vartanārthāya sarvakṛtyeṣu sarvadā | ete viprā mayā dattā gartātīrthasamudbhavāḥ

Translation

നിങ്ങളുടെ ഉപജീവനത്തിനും ശരിയായ നടത്തിപ്പിനുമായി, എപ്പോഴും എല്ലാ കൃത്യങ്ങളിലും, ഗർത്താതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന ഈ വിപ്രന്മാരെ ഞാൻ നിങ്ങള്ക്കായി നിയോഗിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• युष्माकम्: of you (all)
• युष्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वर्तनार्थाय: for (your) livelihood/maintenance
• वर्तनार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्तन-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; वर्तन + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘वर्तनस्य अर्थः’)

• सर्वकृत्येषु: in all duties/affairs
• सर्वकृत्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + कृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘सर्वाणि कृत्यानि’)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (एते इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दत्ताः: given (assigned)
• दत्ताः: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (एते विप्राः)

• गर्तातीर्थसमुद्भवाः: originating from Gartā-tīrtha
• गर्तातीर्थसमुद्भवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्तातीर्थ-समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; गर्तातीर्थ + समुद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (‘गर्तातीर्थात् समुद्भवाः’); विशेषणम् (विप्राः)

Speaker

King (rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Garttātīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king formally assigns a group of brāhmaṇas—said to have arisen from Garttātīrtha—to serve an institution/community for all duties, ensuring their sustenance.

Characters & Entities

• Garttātīrtha
• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• Community/householders addressed as 'yuṣmākam'

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s prosperity is upheld by properly supported dharmic functionaries who guide rites and conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Garttātīrtha is explicitly named as the origin of the brāhmaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies ongoing performance of sarva-kṛtya—regular rites and duties—under the guidance of appointed brāhmaṇas.