Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

मया त्वं विहितो विप्र पुत्र प्रकुरु वांछितम् । प्रसादयस्व सततं ब्राह्मणान्ब्रह्मवित्तमान्

Transliteration

mayā tvaṃ vihito vipra putra prakuru vāṃchitam | prasādayasva satataṃ brāhmaṇānbrahmavittamān

Translation

ഹേ പുത്രാ! ഞാൻ നിന്നെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ബ്രാഹ്മണസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. ഇനി നിനക്കിഷ്ടമുള്ളത് സാധിപ്പുക; ബ്രഹ്മവിദ്യജ്ഞരായ ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ നിത്യം പ്രസാദിപ്പിക്ക.

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Case 3), एकवचन; करण (instrumental/agent in passive)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन

• vihitaḥ: appointed, ordained
• vihitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + √dhā (धा) → vihita (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘appointed/ordained’

• vipra: O Brahmin
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Case 8), एकवचन

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Case 8), एकवचन

• prakuru: do, accomplish
• prakuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vāṃchitam: the desired (thing)
• vāṃchitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṃchita (कृदन्त, √vāñch)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Case 2), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त ‘desired (thing)’; कर्म

• prasādayasva: propitiate, please
• prasādayasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √sad (सद्) (causative: prasāday-)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• satatam: always
• satatam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative): ‘always’

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Case 2), बहुवचन; कर्म

• brahmavittamān: the best knowers of Brahman
• brahmavittamān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahma-vit (प्रातिपदिक) + -tama (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Case 2), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्म वेत्ति इति ब्रह्मवित्) + तमप् (superlative)

Speaker

Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A addressed ‘son’ (putra), within the Vṛtra episode context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered sage or divine preceptor formally establishes a repentant seeker as a brāhmaṇa and instructs him to continually propitiate brahmavid brāhmaṇas; the setting suggests an āśrama near a sacred waterbody.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Vṛtra
• Brāhmaṇas
• Brahmavit

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual status must be upheld by conduct: honoring brahma-vits and living in continual reverence for sacred knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction follows Brahmā’s appearance in the Puṣkara setting, reinforcing Puṣkara’s association with tapas and brahma-vidyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regularly pleasing and honoring learned Brāhmaṇas (brahma-vittamas)—a dharmic practice akin to guru-sevā and satkāra.