Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

इदं पुराणमायुष्यं वर्णानां च सुखावहम् । निर्मितं षण्मुखेनेह नियतं सुमहात्मना

Transliteration

idaṃ purāṇamāyuṣyaṃ varṇānāṃ ca sukhāvaham | nirmitaṃ ṣaṇmukheneha niyataṃ sumahātmanā

Translation

Purāṇa ini menganugerahkan umur panjang dan membawa kesejahteraan kepada semua varṇa. Di sini ia digubah dan ditegakkan oleh Tuhan Bermuka Enam (Ṣaṇmukha) yang berhati agung.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshya (Head-term/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘this’

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — subject/topic ‘Purāṇa’

• आयुष्यम्: life-promoting
• आयुष्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘life-promoting’ qualifying पुराणम्

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — ‘of the varṇas/classes’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• सुखावहम्: bringing happiness
• सुखावहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + आवह (प्रातिपदिक; √वह् धात्वर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘bringing happiness’

• निर्मितम्: created
• निर्मितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + √मा (धातु) + त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि ‘made/created’

• षण्मुखेन: by Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced Skanda)
• षण्मुखेन: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental; agent in passive; ‘by the six-faced one’ (Skanda)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — here/in this world

• नियतम्: ordained
• नियतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + √यम् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘regulated/ordained’

• सुमहात्मना: by the very great-souled one
• सुमहात्मना: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental; agent in passive; ‘by the very great-souled one’

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied by immediate context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) as divine author-establisher of the Purāṇa, seated in a sanctified grove/temple precinct, sages listening as the scripture is ‘set’ in the world.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Skanda Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa is praised as a universal dharma-text supporting both worldly welfare (sukha, āyus) and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse extols the Skanda Purāṇa’s general beneficence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the implication is regular engagement with the Purāṇa (hearing/recitation) for āyus and sukha.