Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 166

Devanagari script

ममात्र दीयतां स्थानं स्थानेऽत्रैव द्विजोत्तमाः । येन संवत्सरस्यांते पंचरात्रं वसाम्यहम्

Transliteration

mamātra dīyatāṃ sthānaṃ sthāne'traiva dvijottamāḥ | yena saṃvatsarasyāṃte paṃcarātraṃ vasāmyaham

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, എനിക്ക് ഇവിടെ തന്നേ ഒരു സ്ഥിരസ്ഥാനം ദയചെയ്യുക; അതിനാൽ ഓരോ വർഷാന്ത്യത്തിലും ഞാൻ അഞ്ചു രാത്രികൾ ഇവിടെ വസിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• दीयताम्: let (it) be given
• दीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थानम्: a place, abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘श्रेष्ठः द्विजानाम्’)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• संवत्सरस्य: of the year
• संवत्सरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (Time-location/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter usage), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चरात्रम्: five nights (a five-night period)
• पञ्चरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समास (numeral compound)

• वसामि: I dwell
• वसामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa/Pākaśāsana) (deduced from context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmasthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant deity (Śakra/Indra implied by later verses) respectfully petitions assembled brāhmaṇas for a fixed abode at a sacred Brahmasthāna, requesting an annual five-night residence at year’s end.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brāhmaṇas (dvijottama)
• Pañca-rātra (five nights)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are defined by divine presence and periodic sacred time; a deity’s annual stay elevates the site’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse indicates a particular locale within Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrtha-māhātmya, but the site-name is not stated in this shloka alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-marker is given: “at the end of the year” and “for five nights (pañca-rātra),” implying an annual observance connected to the deity’s residence.