Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन शोध्योऽयं नागरो द्विजः । स्वस्थानस्य विशुद्ध्यर्थं तथैव स्वकु लस्य च

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śodhyo'yaṃ nāgaro dvijaḥ | svasthānasya viśuddhyarthaṃ tathaiva svaku lasya ca

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് എല്ലാ ശ്രമത്തോടെയും ഈ നാഗര ദ്വിജനെ ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കണം—സ്വസ്ഥാനത്തിന്റെ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ വിശുദ്ധിക്കായും, അതുപോലെ സ്വന്തം കുലത്തിന്റെ ശുദ്ധിക്കായും।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore / from that reason
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (therefore/from that)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वः प्रयत्नः); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc; instr; sg)

• शोध्यः: to be purified
• शोध्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śodhya (प्रातिपदिक; √śudh-णिच्/भाव्य)
• Form: भाव्य/तव्यत्-अर्थक कृदन्त (to be purified); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (masc; nom; sg)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (masc; nom; sg)

• नागरः: Nāgara (a community/person)
• नागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (masc; nom; sg)

• द्विजः: twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (masc; nom; sg)

• स्वस्थानस्य: of one’s own place
• स्वस्थानस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य स्थानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (neut; gen; sg)

• विशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the sake of purification
• विशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddhi + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विशुद्धेः अर्थम् = for purification); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (masc; acc; sg; purpose)

• तथा: thus / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis: indeed/just)

• स्वकुलस्य: of one’s own family/lineage
• स्वकुलस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य कुलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (neut; gen; sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Narrative voice (speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Nāgara brāhmaṇa stands before elders/ṛṣis, receiving instruction on purification; behind them a kṣetra with a Śiva shrine and a tīrtha tank/riverbank symbolizing ‘sthāna-śuddhi’ and ‘kula-śuddhi’.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara (identity/community)
• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal purification safeguards not only the individual’s rites but also the spiritual integrity of the wider community and lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding section belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya in Nāgara-khaṇḍa; this verse emphasizes communal sanctity rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to perform thorough śuddhi (purificatory validation) for a Nāgara dvija for the sake of place and family purity.