Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अथर्ववेदे तच्चोक्तं सर्वं चैवाभिचारिकम् । हिताय सर्वलोकानां ब्रह्मणा लोककारिणा

Transliteration

atharvavede taccoktaṃ sarvaṃ caivābhicārikam | hitāya sarvalokānāṃ brahmaṇā lokakāriṇā

Translation

അഥർവവേദത്തിൽ ഉപദേശിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന എല്ലാം—വിശേഷിച്ച് രക്ഷാർത്ഥവും പ്രഭാവപ്രയോഗപരവുമായ ക്രിയകളും—ലോകസ്രഷ്ടാവായ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് സർവ്വജീവഹിതത്തിനായി പ്രണീതമാക്കിയതാണ്.

Word by Word

• अथर्ववेदे: in the Atharvaveda
• अथर्ववेदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्ववेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—अथर्व + वेद (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्धारणार्थः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उक्तम्: is said/declared
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/declared’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

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

• अभिचारिकम्: pertaining to sorcery/abhicāra
• अभिचारिकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिचारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘sarvam’)

• हिताय: for the welfare
• हिताय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे दत्तिः

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all worlds/people
• सर्वलोकानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्व + लोक (कर्मधारयः)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• लोककारिणा: the maker/benefactor of the worlds
• लोककारिणा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—लोकस्य कारिन् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); विशेषणम् (of brahmaṇā)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa expounds Atharvavedic protective knowledge, with Brahmā envisioned as the cosmic lawgiver bestowing mantras for the welfare of all beings; pilgrims and townsfolk listen in a tīrtha assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Atharvaveda
• Brahmā
• Abhicāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful ritual technologies are justified when oriented to loka-hita (the welfare of all), not personal malice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in the verse; the surrounding narrative belongs to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya in Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references Atharvavedic abhicāra-type applications as part of the Vedic corpus, framed as intended for universal welfare.