Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततः कृत्वा स्वयं ब्रह्मा सर्वेषामर्हणक्रियाम् । गृह्योक्तेन विधानेन ततः प्रोवाच सादरम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kṛtvā svayaṃ brahmā sarveṣāmarhaṇakriyām | gṛhyoktena vidhānena tataḥ provāca sādaram

Translation

അനന്തരം സ്വയം ബ്രഹ്മാവ് ഗൃഹ്യപരമ്പരയിൽ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന വിധിപ്രകാരം എല്ലാവർക്കും അർഹണ-സത്കാരക്രിയ നടത്തി; തുടർന്ന് സാദരമായി അവരോടു സംസാരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb): ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), धातु: कृ; ‘having done’

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent-modifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (of them)
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अर्हणक्रियाम्: the act/rite of honoring
• अर्हणक्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arhaṇa + kriyā (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: अर्हणस्य क्रिया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गृह्योक्तेन: as prescribed in the Gṛhya (texts)
• गृह्योक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛhya + ukta (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समास: गृह्येण उक्तः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष) = ‘stated in the Gṛhya (sūtras)’

• विधानेन: by the procedure; by the method
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb): ‘ततः’ = ‘तदनन्तरम्’

• प्रोवाच: said; spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• सादरम्: respectfully; with reverence
• सादरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa-ādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास: स + आदरम्; अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta’s narration within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, serene and four-faced, performs formal honoring rites for assembled brāhmaṇas at a yajña-maṇḍapa—offering water, seats, and respectful gestures—before addressing them.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Ṛtviks

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Before great rites, dharma begins with honoring the worthy—hospitality and reverence sanctify the undertaking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sanctity of the kṣetra is reinforced by the presence of Brahmā and orthodox rites; the exact tīrtha name is contextual to the chapter’s broader māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arhaṇa (formal honoring) performed according to gṛhya-vidhi, prior to proceeding with the yajña.