Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वृत्त्यर्थमस्य देवस्य लक्षं होमेऽत्र कल्प्यताम् । लक्षं तु सर्वविप्राणां प्रायश्चित्तविशुद्धये

Transliteration

vṛttyarthamasya devasya lakṣaṃ home'tra kalpyatām | lakṣaṃ tu sarvaviprāṇāṃ prāyaścittaviśuddhaye

Translation

ഈ ദേവന്റെ സേവാ-പരിപാലനാർത്ഥം ഇവിടെ ഹോമത്തിൽ ഒരു ലക്ഷം ആഹുതികൾ ക്രമീകരിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ. അതുപോലെ എല്ലാ ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ പ്രായശ്ചിത്ത-ശുദ്ധിക്കായും അതേ ഒരു ലക്ഷം (ആഹുതികൾ) അർപ്പിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• वृत्त्यर्थम्: for livelihood/maintenance
• वृत्त्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृत्तेः अर्थः/वृत्त्यर्थः)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लक्षम्: a lakh (100,000)
• लक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (अत्र कर्मरूपेण)

• होमे: in the homa (fire-offering)
• होमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• कल्प्यताम्: let it be arranged/ordained
• कल्प्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• लक्षम्: a lakh
• लक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति; कर्मरूपेण)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• सर्वविप्राणाम्: of all the Brahmins
• सर्वविप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वे विप्राः)

• प्रायश्चित्तविशुद्धये: for the purification of expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तविशुद्धये: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रायश्चित्तस्य विशुद्धिः)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (contextual; ritual prescription)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣpāditya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand fire-altar with priests offering continuous oblations, counting toward a lakṣa; offerings piled, ladles raised, smoke rising in disciplined columns; deity shrine nearby receiving the rite’s merit.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (unspecified deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action (homa) is framed as both service to the deity and a means of communal purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is a tīrtha-glorification, but this verse does not specify the site by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A lakṣa-homa—100,000 oblations—ordained for the deity’s maintenance and for prāyaścitta purification.