Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

विप्रवह्निमुखाग्राय हराय च भवाय च । शंकराय महेशाय ईश्वराय नमो नमः

Transliteration

vipravahnimukhāgrāya harāya ca bhavāya ca | śaṃkarāya maheśāya īśvarāya namo namaḥ

Translation

വിപ്രരുടെ യജ്ഞാഗ്നി-മുഖത്തിൽ അഗ്രഗണ്യനായ (ഹവിഗ്രാഹി) പ്രഭുവേ—നമസ്കാരം. ഹരാ, ഭവാ, ശങ്കരാ, മഹേശാ, ഈശ്വരാ—നിനക്കു പുനഃപുനഃ നമോ നമഃ.

Word by Word

• विप्रवह्निमुखाग्राय: to (him who is) the foremost at the mouth of the Brahmin-fire
• विप्रवह्निमुखाग्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + वह्नि + मुख + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्र-वह्नि-मुख-अग्र = ‘ब्राह्मण-अग्नि-के मुख के अग्र/अग्रभाग’)

• हराय: to Hara
• हराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

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

• भवाय: to Bhava
• भवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

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

• शंकराय: to Śaṅkara
• शंकराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• महेशाय: to Maheśa
• महेशाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• ईश्वराय: to Īśvara
• ईश्वराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमो: salutation
• नमो: Prayojana (Salutation/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय; ‘नमः’ का पदान्त रूप ‘नमो’ (visarga-sandhi before voiced consonant)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana (Salutation/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (salutatory particle)

Speaker

Unspecified (stotra voice within Tīrthamāhātmya narration; attributed to the hymn-reciter in the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic altar with blazing agni; a brāhmaṇa priest offers oblations while a subtle vision of Śiva appears within/above the flame as the true ‘receiver’; the pilgrim watches in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Hara
• Bhava
• Śaṅkara
• Maheśa
• Īśvara
• Yajña (sacrificial fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine lordship is recognized through many names; worship integrates household dharma (yajña) with pilgrimage devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is embedded in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse itself does not specify the tīrtha name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indirectly references yajña (sacrificial fire) and the idea of offerings; no step-by-step ritual is given.