Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

किं करोमि वृताः सर्वे मया ते यज्ञकर्मणि । ऋत्विजोऽध्वर्यु पूर्वा ये प्रमादेन न काम्यया

Transliteration

kiṃ karomi vṛtāḥ sarve mayā te yajñakarmaṇi | ṛtvijo'dhvaryu pūrvā ye pramādena na kāmyayā

Translation

“Apakah yang harus aku lakukan? Kerana semua pendeta—bermula dengan adhvaryu—telah pun aku lantik untuk kerja yajña, kerana kelalaian, bukan kerana niat yang disengajakan.”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वृताः: chosen; selected
• वृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत (कृदन्त; √वृ/वृञ् ‘to choose’)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (agreeing with सर्वे)

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ते: they; those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (referring to ऋत्विजः)

• यज्ञकर्मणि: in the sacrificial rite/work
• यज्ञकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (यज्ञस्य कर्म), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ऋत्विजः: priests (ṛtviks)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अध्वर्यु: the Adhvaryu priest
• अध्वर्यु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (appositional/role-name; possibly used collectively)

• पूर्वाः: former; earlier
• पूर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (qualifying ऋत्विजः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रमादेन: through negligence; by mistake
• प्रमादेन: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• काम्यया: by desire; out of wish
• काम्यया: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (as cause: 'out of desire')

Speaker

Padmaja (Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā expresses a practical dilemma: the adhvaryu and other priests have already been engaged; his face shows concern and responsibility, while the assembly listens, awaiting a lawful solution.

Characters & Entities

• Padmaja (Brahmā)
• ṛtvij
• adhvaryu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even authorities acknowledge procedural error; dharma includes rectifying mistakes made through pramāda (oversight).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha context frames the discussion, presenting the place as one where ritual precision matters for spiritual efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the prior appointment of ṛtviks (including the adhvaryu) for yajña-karman, raising the need to correct the arrangement according to local dharma.