Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

होतव्यं हविरेवात्र समाप्तिं यास्यति क्रतुः । नान्यथा सत्यमेवोक्तं तवाग्रे चतुरानन

Transliteration

hotavyaṃ havirevātra samāptiṃ yāsyati kratuḥ | nānyathā satyamevoktaṃ tavāgre caturānana

Translation

ഇവിടെ ഹവിസ്സുതന്നെ ഹോമിക്കണം; അതിനാലേ ക്രതു (യജ്ഞം) സമാപ്തിയിലേക്കെത്തൂ—മറ്റെങ്ങനെക്കും അല്ല. ഹേ ചതുരാനന, നിന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ ഞാൻ സത്യമേ പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• hotavyam: to be offered
• hotavyam: Vidhi (Injunctional predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hotavya (कृदन्त; √hu जुहोति/हवने)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; होतव्यम् (gerundive: "to be offered")

• havis: oblation
• havis: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eva: only, indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/indeed)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• samāptim: completion
• samāptim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• yāsyati: will attain
• yāsyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु; गत्यर्थे)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kratuḥ: sacrifice, rite
• kratuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारान्तरवाचक (otherwise)

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• uktam: (it is) said
• uktam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ukta (कृदन्त; √vac वचने)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे "said"

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• agre: in (your) presence
• agre: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; "in front" (loc.)

• caturānana: O four-faced one
• caturānana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Voc.), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—चत्वारि आननानि यस्य (epithet of Brahmā)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Caturānana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deity speaks firmly before Brahmā: only the havis-offering here completes the kratu; Brahmā listens with folded hands, the fire steady and bright.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā (Caturānana)
• Kratu (yajña)
• Havis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual efficacy depends on fidelity to dharma: correct means and truthful intention complete sacred acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it reinforces the authority of proper worship that underlies tīrtha greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A firm rule that the rite reaches completion only by offering the proper havis in the prescribed manner.