Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अथर्ववेदः प्रथमं द्रष्टव्यः कार्यसिद्धये । एतस्मात्कारणादाद्यः स चतुर्थोऽपि संस्थितः

Transliteration

atharvavedaḥ prathamaṃ draṣṭavyaḥ kāryasiddhaye | etasmātkāraṇādādyaḥ sa caturtho'pi saṃsthitaḥ

Translation

കാര്യസിദ്ധിക്കായി ആദ്യം അഥർവവേദം തന്നെ ദർശിക്കണം; അതുകൊണ്ടു പ്രയോഗപരമായി അത് ‘ആദ്യ’, എണ്ണത്തിൽ മാത്രം ‘ചതുര്ഥ’മായി സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്.

Word by Word

• अथर्ववेदः: the Atharvaveda
• अथर्ववेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्ववेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—अथर्व + वेद (तत्पुरुषः)

• प्रथमम्: first/firstly
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative: ‘firstly’)

• द्रष्टव्यः: is to be seen/consulted
• द्रष्टव्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to atharvavedaḥ)

• कार्यसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of the task
• कार्यसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः—कार्यस्य सिद्धिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• आद्यः: the first/prime
• आद्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of saḥ/atharvavedaḥ)

• सः: he/that (it)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चतुर्थः: the fourth
• चतुर्थः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of saḥ)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• संस्थितः: is placed/established
• संस्थितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थितः’ इति भावः—स्थित/स्थापित

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (implied continuing audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher explains the four Vedas with Atharvaveda highlighted as practically prior; a symbolic arrangement shows three Vedas in order and Atharva placed forward as ‘first for success’.

Characters & Entities

• Atharvaveda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural ranking can be contextual: for effective action (kārya-siddhi), the tradition prioritizes the Atharvaveda’s practical methods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is doctrinal and does not name a tīrtha; it occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural instruction is given: consult Atharvaveda first when seeking success in a specific undertaking.