Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

प्राणरुद्रान्वदंत्वाद्या जीवसूक्तं च बह्वृचाः । एषां चैव पृथिव्यादिसवनं यत्पुरा कृतम्

Transliteration

prāṇarudrānvadaṃtvādyā jīvasūktaṃ ca bahvṛcāḥ | eṣāṃ caiva pṛthivyādisavanaṃ yatpurā kṛtam

Translation

“അഗ്രഗണ്യർ പ്രാണ-രുദ്രങ്ങളെ പാരായണം ചെയ്യട്ടെ; ബഹ്വൃചർ ജീവ-സൂക്തം പാരായണം ചെയ്യട്ടെ. കൂടാതെ ഈ കർമ്മങ്ങൾക്ക് മുൻപ് ചെയ്തതുപോലെ ‘പൃഥിവീ-ആദി’ സവനവും നടത്തപ്പെടട്ടെ.”

Word by Word

• प्राणरुद्रान्: the Prāṇas and Rudras
• प्राणरुद्रान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: प्राणाश्च रुद्राश्च

• वदन्तु: let (them) speak/recite
• वदन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: वद्

• आद्याः: the first ones / the foremost
• आद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• जीवसूक्तम्: the ‘Jīva-sūkta’ hymn
• जीवसूक्तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक) + सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: जीवस्य सूक्तम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बह्वृचाः: the Bahvṛcas
• बह्वृचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बह्वृच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• एषाम्: of these
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• पृथिव्यादिसवनम्: the ‘pṛthivī etc.’ oblation/pressing (savana)
• पृथिव्यादिसवनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + सवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: पृथिवी-आदि (द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुष-समूहसूचक) + सवन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पृथिव्यादीनां सवनम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

• कृतम्: was done/made
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘done/made’

Speaker

Narrator (reporting ritual directives)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛs (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coordinated yajña scene: lead priests signal the recitation—some invoking Prāṇa-Rudras, others chanting a Jīva-sūkta—while assistants prepare for a savana offering sequence, evoking ancient continuity.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇa-Rudra
• Jīvasūkta
• Bahvṛca
• savana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life-breath (prāṇa) and sacred sound are honored through ordered recitation, showing dharma as disciplined worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on mantra and savana performance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite Prāṇa-Rudra and Jīva-sūkta and perform a ‘Pṛthivī-ādi’ savana according to earlier precedent.