Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

यदनेन वृतं मत्तः पुत्रित्वं सुमहात्मना । हयमेधान्महायज्ञान्कर्ता स्यादस्य वै सुतः

Transliteration

yadanena vṛtaṃ mattaḥ putritvaṃ sumahātmanā | hayamedhānmahāyajñānkartā syādasya vai sutaḥ

Translation

ആ മഹാത്മാവ് എന്നിൽ നിന്ന് പുത്രത്വം വരമായി തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തതിനാൽ, അവന്റെ പുത്രൻ തീർച്ചയായും അശ്വമേധാദി മഹായാഗങ്ങളുടെ കർത്താവാകും।

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (that which)

• अनेन: by this (person)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• वृतम्: chosen
• वृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु; ‘वृणोति’ चयनार्थ) + क्त
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वृतम्’ = chosen/accepted

• मत्तः: from me
• मत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• पुत्रित्वम्: sonship
• पुत्रित्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रित्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाव-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक

• सुमहात्मना: by the very great-souled (one)
• सुमहात्मना: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु-महात्मा), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणरूपेण

• हयमेधान्: Aśvamedhas
• हयमेधान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• महायज्ञान्: great sacrifices
• महायज्ञान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् यज्ञः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• कर्ता: performer
• कर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तृच् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तृवाचक-तृच् कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Yama (deduced from immediate prior mention and thematic continuity; narrator reports his intent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great-souled figure receiving a boon of sonship from a revered giver; in the background, a future son is envisioned performing grand sacrifices—altars, priests, and offerings appearing as a prophetic tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Aśvamedha
• Mahāyajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-bearing lineages are portrayed as divinely purposed: a righteous origin yields a life dedicated to great sacrificial duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference to performing Aśvamedha and other mahāyajñas (great sacrifices).