Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तत्र यच्छति मिष्टान्नं द्विजानां सज्जनैः सह । पूजयित्वा तु नागेंद्रान्सनातनपुरःसरान्

Transliteration

tatra yacchati miṣṭānnaṃ dvijānāṃ sajjanaiḥ saha | pūjayitvā tu nāgeṃdrānsanātanapuraḥsarān

Translation

അവിടെ സജ്ജനന്മാരോടുകൂടെ ദ്വിജന്മാർക്ക് (ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു) മിഷ്ടാന്നം ദാനം ചെയ്യണം; തുടർന്ന് സനാതനനെ മുൻനിർത്തി നാഗേന്ദ്രന്മാരെ പൂജിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• यच्छति: gives; offers
• यच्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (यच्छति = gives)

• मिष्टान्नम्: sweet food; delicacies
• मिष्टान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (मिष्टं च तत् अन्नम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजानाम्: of/for the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सज्जनैः: with good people
• सज्जनैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (postposition/particle: 'with')

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + तुमुन्/क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); 'having worshipped'

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• नागेन्द्रान्: lords of the Nāgas (serpent-kings)
• नागेन्द्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नागानाम् इन्द्राः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सनातनपुरःसरान्: having Sanātana as their leader; led by Sanātana
• सनातनपुरःसरान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (पुरः + सृ (धातु) + अच्, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सनातनः पुरःसरः येषाम् / सनातनपुरःसराः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (qualifying 'नागेन्द्रान्')

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgatīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank, virtuous devotees distribute sweet dishes to brāhmaṇas; nearby a nāga-shrine receives lamps and flowers; Sanātana stands as leading figure for nāga worship.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgatīrtha
• Dvija (brāhmaṇas)
• Nāgendras
• Sanātana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-merit is strengthened by charity and honoring both the learned (dvijas) and the divine guardians (Nāgas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer miṣṭānna to dvijas and perform Nāga-pūjā (worship of Nāgendras) at the tīrtha.