Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादयो यज्ञा ये प्रोक्ताः प्राक्स्वयंभुवा । अन्यदेहांतरे स्वर्गः प्राप्यते तैः कृतैर्नृप

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādayo yajñā ye proktāḥ prāksvayaṃbhuvā | anyadehāṃtare svargaḥ prāpyate taiḥ kṛtairnṛpa

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! സ്വയംഭൂ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് പണ്ടേ ഉപദേശിച്ച അഗ്നിഷ്ടോമാദി യാഗങ്ങൾ ചെയ്താൽ സ്വർഗം ലഭിക്കും; എന്നാൽ അത് ദേഹാന്തരം പ്രാപിച്ചതിന് ശേഷം (മരണാനന്തരം) മാത്രമേ ലഭ്യമാകൂ.

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादयः: Agniṣṭoma etc.
• अग्निष्टोमादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक); यज्ञ-नामानि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—अग्निष्टोम-आदि ("Agniṣṭoma and others")

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ये: which
• ये: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (relative pronoun)

• प्रोक्ताः: have been declared
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्राक्: formerly
• प्राक्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• स्वयंभुवा: by Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभुवा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्य: in another
• अन्य: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• देहान्तरे: in another body
• देहान्तरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देह-अन्तर ("another body")

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is attained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कृतैः: when performed / by (them) performed
• कृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense here), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (implied from the surrounding dialogue with Triśaṅku)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Triśaṅku

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha enumerates Vedic sacrifices—Agniṣṭoma foremost—while explaining that their heaven is reached only after leaving the present body.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Svayaṃbhū)
• Agniṣṭoma
• Svarga
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic sacrifices can grant heavenly merit, but their fruition is generally post-mortem; the verse contrasts delayed ritual reward with the desire for immediate attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself speaks generally of yajña and svarga; the broader Tīrthamāhātmya context frames the teaching within sacred-geography praise, but no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Vedic sacrifices such as the Agniṣṭoma is referenced as the means to attain svarga.