Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

श्राद्धार्हा यज्ञयोग्याश्च कन्यायोग्या विशेषतः । परं ते स्थापिता राजन्स्वयमिंद्रेण तत्र च

Transliteration

śrāddhārhā yajñayogyāśca kanyāyogyā viśeṣataḥ | paraṃ te sthāpitā rājansvayamiṃdreṇa tatra ca

Translation

അവർ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ ക്ഷണിക്കപ്പെടാൻ അർഹർ, യജ്ഞകർമ്മങ്ങൾക്ക് യോഗ്യർ, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കന്യാ-വിവാഹബന്ധത്തിന് അനുയോജ്യർ. രാജാവേ, അവരെ അവിടെ ആ പരമസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ സ്വയം ഇന്ദ്രൻ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धार्हाः: worthy of śrāddha offerings
• श्राद्धार्हाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrāddha + arhā (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• यज्ञयोग्याः: fit for sacrifices
• यज्ञयोग्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña + yogya (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

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

• कन्यायोग्याः: suitable for marriage alliances (with maidens)
• कन्यायोग्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kanyā + yogya (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• परम्: moreover/further
• परम्: Discourse marker (वाक्योपपादक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (indeclinable use), अर्थे ‘moreover/further’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्थापिताः: were established/placed
• स्थापिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → sthāpita (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय; causative sense)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), स्वकृत्यबोधक (oneself/by oneself)

• इन्द्रेण: by Indra
• इन्द्रेण: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

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

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (to the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: Indra symbolically ‘establishes’ a group of Nāgara brāhmaṇas in a sanctified locale—Indra with vajra and celestial attendants, while sages and the king witness the decree; ritual fires glow nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Rājan (the King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and proper eligibility matter in dharmic rites; sacred authority is framed as divinely sanctioned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this single śloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It affirms who is considered fit for śrāddha and yajña participation (eligibility/adhikāra).