Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

मर्यादेयं कृता विप्रा नागराणां मयाऽधुना । कृत्वा प्रसादमस्माकं यज्ञार्थं दातुमर्हथ । अनुज्ञां विधिवद्विप्रा येन यज्ञं करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

maryādeyaṃ kṛtā viprā nāgarāṇāṃ mayā'dhunā | kṛtvā prasādamasmākaṃ yajñārthaṃ dātumarhatha | anujñāṃ vidhivadviprā yena yajñaṃ karomyaham

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ! നാഗരന്മാർക്കായി ഞാൻ ഇപ്പോൾ ഈ മര്യാദാ-നിയമം സ്ഥാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ഞങ്ങളോടു പ്രസന്നരായി യജ്ഞാർത്ഥം ആവശ്യമായതു ദാനം ചെയ്യുക. കൂടാതെ ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരേ! വിധിപൂർവ്വം നിങ്ങളുടെ അനുവാദം നൽകുക, അതുവഴി ഞാൻ യജ്ഞം നിർവഹിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• मर्यादेयम्: a boundary/limit (rule)
• मर्यादेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'मर्यादा/सीमा' इत्यर्थकं नाम

• कृता: (has been) made/done
• कृता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—'कृता (अस्ति)' = has been made

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), बहुवचन

• नागराणाम्: of the Nāgaras
• नागराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• प्रसादम्: favor/grace
• प्रसादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us/for us
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• यज्ञार्थम्: for the sake of the sacrifice
• यज्ञार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-भावः: 'यज्ञस्य/यज्ञाय अर्थः'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन प्रयुक्तम्

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Kriya-arthaka (Infinitival complement/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तुमुन् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), परस्मैपदी-धातोः; 'to give'

• अर्हथ: you are worthy/please (ought to)
• अर्हथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• अनुज्ञाम्: permission/consent
• अनुज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• विधिवत्: according to proper rite
• विधिवत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'according to rule')

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), बहुवचन

• येन: by which/so that
• येन: Hetu/Upaya (Means/हेतु-उपाय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/हेतुवाचक-यत्, तृतीया (3), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; 'येन' = by which/so that

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• करोमि: I perform
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (seeking priestly sanction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas of the Nāgaras; indirectly the main audience of the kathā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (Pitāmaha) addressing an assembly of brāhmaṇas, requesting formal permission for a yajña after establishing the Nāgara boundary-rule; ritual pavilion hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nāgaras
• Brāhmaṇas (Viprāḥ)
• Yajña
• Maryādā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest authority upholds dharma by seeking proper sanction; ritual success rests on humility, rule, and consent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same sacred kṣetra of the Nāgara-khaṇḍa narrative, where a binding maryādā is instituted and yajña is to be performed only with due permission.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vidhivat anujñā (formal priestly permission) is required before performing the yajña; also a grant/support for the yajña is requested.