Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अंत्यजत्वं गतस्यापि त्रिशंकोः पृथिवीपतेः । यज्ञभागभुजो देवाः प्रत्यक्षेण विनिर्मिताः

Transliteration

aṃtyajatvaṃ gatasyāpi triśaṃkoḥ pṛthivīpateḥ | yajñabhāgabhujo devāḥ pratyakṣeṇa vinirmitāḥ

Translation

അന്ത്യജാവസ്ഥയിൽ പതിച്ച ഭൂമിപതി ത്രിശങ്കുവിനുവേണ്ടിയും യജ്ഞഭാഗം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്ന ദേവന്മാർ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• aṃtyajatvam: outcaste-status
• aṃtyajatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃtyajatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gatasya: of (him) who had gone to/attained
• gatasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of one who has gone/attained’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (even)

• triśaṃkoḥ: of Triśaṅku
• triśaṃkoḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: triśaṃku (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pṛthivīpateḥ: of the lord of the earth (king)
• pṛthivīpateḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pṛthivyāḥ patiḥ)

• yajñabhāga-bhujaḥ: partakers of sacrificial shares
• yajñabhāga-bhujaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuj (धातु/प्रातिपदिक bhuja)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (yajñabhāgaṃ bhuñjate iti)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• pratyakṣeṇa: directly, with direct perception
• pratyakṣeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• vinirmitāḥ: were created/produced
• vinirmitāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियापद-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-nir-mā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ‘were created’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triśaṅku–Viśvāmitra sambandhita tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disgraced king Triśaṅku stands near a sacrificial arena; Viśvāmitra’s tejas compels devas to appear ‘before the eyes’—a dramatic epiphany scene.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Triśaṅku
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a grievously fallen person can become the occasion for divine intervention when a powerful dharmic force (tapas/ṛṣi-śakti) operates.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s tīrtha is praised through the Triśaṅku episode, implying a place sanctified by extraordinary, visible divine events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references yajña and the gods’ sacrificial portions but does not prescribe a specific rite.