Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच । तवार्चां मम पुत्रोऽयं स्थापयिष्यति यामिह । तामनेनैव मंत्रेण यः कश्चित्पूजयेद्द्विजः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | tavārcāṃ mama putro'yaṃ sthāpayiṣyati yāmiha | tāmanenaiva maṃtreṇa yaḥ kaścitpūjayeddvijaḥ

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ യമദേവാ, എന്റെ ഈ പുത്രൻ ഇവിടെ നിങ്ങളുടെ അർച്ച (വിഗ്രഹം) സ്ഥാപിക്കും. കൂടാതെ ഏതെങ്കിലും ദ്വിജൻ ഇതേ മന്ത്രം കൊണ്ടു ആ വിഗ്രഹത്തെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ…

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्चाम्: image, idol (for worship)
• अर्चाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्थापयिष्यति: will install, will set up
• स्थापयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• याम्: which (her/that)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• ताम्: that (image)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• कश्चित्: anyone, someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa speaks to Yama, indicating a future shrine; the son stands nearby as heir, holding ritual items, envisioning the installation of Yama’s image at the sacred spot.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Dharmarāja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing a deity’s arcā and worshipping with the authorized mantra creates an enduring channel of dharmic benefit for the community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the exact geographical tīrtha-name is not included in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcā-sthāpanā (installation of Yama’s image) and its worship using “this very mantra” (anenaiva mantreṇa).