Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

अजागृहे स्थिता यस्मात्सा देवी क्षेत्रदेवता । अजागृहा ततः ख्याता सर्वत्रैव द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

ajāgṛhe sthitā yasmātsā devī kṣetradevatā | ajāgṛhā tataḥ khyātā sarvatraiva dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ആ ദേവി—ആ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ അധിഷ്ഠാത്രി—അജാഗൃഹത്തിൽ (ആടുകളുടെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ) വസിക്കുന്നതിനാൽ, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, ആ സ്ഥലം എല്ലായിടത്തും ‘അജാഗൃഹാ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി.

Word by Word

• अजागृहे: in the goat-house
• अजागृहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजागृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—अजा + गृह (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘अजायाः गृहं’), ‘अजागृह’

• स्थिताः: (she) stayed / was situated
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = having stayed/being situated

• यस्मात्: because of which / from which
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रदेवता: the presiding deity of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रदेवता: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—क्षेत्र + देवता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘क्षेत्रस्य देवता’)

• अजागृहा: (as) Ajāgṛhā (name)
• अजागृहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजागृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—अजा + गृह (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• ततः: therefore / from that
• ततः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ख्याता: became known / was famed
• ख्याता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘ख्यात’ = renowned/known

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजः उत्तमः इति कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from address dvijottamāḥ and continuous narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ajāgṛhā (in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A modest goat-house (ajāgṛha) within a sacred precinct, subtly transfigured by the luminous presence of the Goddess as kṣetra-devatā; brāhmaṇas listen as the narrator explains the origin of the name Ajāgṛhā.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (kṣetradevatā)
• Ajāgṛha/Ajāgṛhā (place-name)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra becomes holy and widely renowned through the living presence of its kṣetradevatā; sacred geography is defined by divine indwelling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ajāgṛhā (Ajāgṛha), named and celebrated because the kṣetradevatā Devī is said to reside there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse provides sthala-nāma-nirukti (place-name explanation) highlighting the Devī’s residence as the source of sanctity.