Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

क्वचिच्छ्रुत्वाऽगमं पुण्यं प्रकरोषि च पूजनम् । शास्त्रस्य वाचकस्यापि व्याख्यातुश्च विशेषतः

Transliteration

kvacicchrutvā'gamaṃ puṇyaṃ prakaroṣi ca pūjanam | śāstrasya vācakasyāpi vyākhyātuśca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

നീ ഒരിക്കൽപോലും പുണ്യപ്രദമായ ആഗമോപദേശം ശ്രവിച്ച് പൂജ ചെയ്യുമോ—ശാസ്ത്രം പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്ന വാചകനെയും, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് വ്യാഖ്യാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന ആചാര്യനെയും ആദരിക്കുമോ?

Word by Word

• क्वचित्: sometimes / somewhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (locative-adverb: 'somewhere/sometimes')

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); 'having heard'

• आगमम्: scripture / āgama
• आगमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'आगमम्')

• प्रकरोषि: you perform / you do
• प्रकरोषि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शास्त्रस्य: of the scripture
• शास्त्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• वाचकस्य: of the reciter/reader
• वाचकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• व्याख्यातुः: of the expounder/commentator
• व्याख्यातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याख्यातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'especially')

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A noble lady (sādhvī/śubhāṅgī implied by address in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple courtyard or maṇḍapa: a seated śāstra-reciter with palm-leaf manuscript; beside him a commentator gesturing to explain; the devotee offers flowers, incense, and a respectful gift, hands folded, head bowed.

Characters & Entities

• Āgama
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to sacred knowledge includes reverence to its transmitters—especially the teacher who clarifies and interprets dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on śāstra-hearing and honoring teachers within the tīrtha-oriented life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After hearing a holy teaching, perform pūjā and honor the śāstra-reciter and particularly the expounder.