Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स एव पूज्यते यत्र पंचक्रोशं पवित्रकम् । करोति सकलं क्षेत्रं न तवाऽशुभसंभवः

Transliteration

sa eva pūjyate yatra paṃcakrośaṃ pavitrakam | karoti sakalaṃ kṣetraṃ na tavā'śubhasaṃbhavaḥ

Translation

അവനെ എവിടെ ആരാധിക്കുന്നുവോ അവിടെ അഞ്ചുക്രോശത്തിന്റെ പവിത്രപരിധി പാവനമാകും; അവൻ സമസ്ത ക്ഷേത്രഭൂമിയും ശുദ്ധമാക്കുന്നു—അവിടെ നിനക്ക് അശുഭം ഉദിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• पञ्च-क्रोशम्: (an area of) five krośas
• पञ्च-क्रोशम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + क्रोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (measure: five krośas)

• पवित्रकम्: holy/purifying
• पवित्रकम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies पञ्चक्रोशम्)

• करोति: makes/does
• करोति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सकलम्: entire/whole
• सकलम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies क्षेत्रम्)

• क्षेत्रम्: region/sacred area
• क्षेत्रम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अशुभ-सम्भवः: arising of inauspiciousness
• अशुभ-सम्भवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+√भू (धातु) + अप्/घञ्-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थ-तत्पुरुषः (‘अशुभस्य सम्भवः’ = arising of inauspiciousness)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Brahmā–Nārada dialogue context (deduced from adhyāya colophon)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcakrośa-kṣetra (unnamed here)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim circuit of five krośas encircling a central Viṣṇu shrine; as worship occurs, a luminous ring expands, purifying forests, villages, and waterways; dark omens cannot cross the boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa
• kṣetra (sacred region)
• pañcakrośa (five-krośa circuit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship of the Lord sanctifies not only the devotee but the entire sacred region, preventing the rise of inauspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A holy kṣetra described with a pañcakrośa (five-krośa) sacred circuit within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya context of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular worship (pūjā) of the Lord in the sacred circuit, emphasizing the sanctifying power of devotional worship.