Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 158

Devanagari script

ततस्ते शुचयो भूत्वा स्कंदसूक्तेन पावकम् । जुहुवुश्च दिवारात्रौ क्षुरिकोक्तेन सोद्यमाः

Transliteration

tataste śucayo bhūtvā skaṃdasūktena pāvakam | juhuvuśca divārātrau kṣurikoktena sodyamāḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവർ ശുദ്ധരായി സ്കന്ദസൂക്തം ജപിച്ച് പാവകാഗ്നിയിൽ ആഹുതികൾ അർപ്പിച്ചു. ക്ഷുരിക ഉപദേശിച്ച രീതിയിൽ അവർ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ പകലും രാത്രിയും ഹോമം നടത്തി.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): 'thereupon/then'

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• śucayaḥ: pure, cleansed
• śucayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय-भाव; 'having become'

• skaṃda-sūktena: with the Skanda hymn
• skaṃda-sūktena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skaṃda (प्रातिपदिक) + sūkta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): 'Skanda-sūkta' = 'hymn of Skanda'

• pāvakam: the fire (Agni)
• pāvakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• juhuvuḥ: they offered (into fire)
• juhuvuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• divā-rātrau: day and night
• divā-rātrau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divā (अव्यय) + rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास: 'day and night' (as a pair)

• kṣurika-oktena: with the kṣurikā-recitation/formula
• kṣurika-oktena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣurikā (प्रातिपदिक) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √vac/√vad)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: 'kṣurikā-ukta' = 'that which is said/recited with (the) kṣurikā (formula)'

• sa-udyamāḥ: energetic, exerting themselves
• sa-udyamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + udyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'with effort/energetic' (sa-udyama = industrious)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (narrator) (deduced from surrounding narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Suparṇa-tīrtha (implied by immediate narrative transition)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A purified group of sages performs an intense day-and-night fire-offering, chanting Skanda-sūkta, with a disciplined officiant guiding the rite according to Kṣurika’s method.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Skanda-sūkta
• Pāvaka (Fire)
• Kṣurika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity, mantra, and sustained disciplined offering transform ritual into a powerful means of sanctification and spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the chapter’s tīrtha-centered ritual narrative; this line highlights the method (Skanda-sūkta homa) rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Become purified, then offer oblations into the fire while reciting the Skanda-sūkta, performing the rite continuously day and night as instructed by Kṣurika.