Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स दृष्ट्वा विपुलां भूमिं प्रासादैः परिवर्जिताम् । प्रासादार्थं मतिं चक्रे तत्र क्षेत्रे द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā vipulāṃ bhūmiṃ prāsādaiḥ parivarjitām | prāsādārthaṃ matiṃ cakre tatra kṣetre dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ସେ ବିଶାଳ ଭୂମିକୁ ପ୍ରାସାଦଶୂନ୍ୟ ଦେଖି, ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜୋତ୍ତମମାନେ, ସେଇ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ପ୍ରାସାଦ ନିର୍ମାଣ କରିବାକୁ ସଙ୍କଳ୍ପ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्/दर्शन) (धातु) → dṛṣṭvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• vipulām: vast, extensive
• vipulām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• bhūmim: land, ground
• bhūmim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• prāsādaiḥ: with palaces/buildings
• prāsādaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• parivarjitām: devoid of, lacking
• parivarjitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari + √vṛj (वृज्/वर्जने) (धातु) → parivarjita (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

• prāsāda-artham: for the purpose of a palace
• prāsāda-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (prāsādasya/prāsādāya arthaḥ) ‘for the sake of’

• matim: intention, plan
• matim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• cakre: made, formed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ/करणे) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद-स्थाने आत्मनेपद प्रयोगः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद रूप (cakre)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• kṣetre: in the region/field
• kṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• dvijottamāḥ: O best of the twice-born
• dvijottamāḥ: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king surveys an expansive, empty sacred plain—no spires, no gateways—then inwardly forms a resolve; the future temple is envisioned as a luminous outline above the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetra
• Prāsāda (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating or restoring temple infrastructure is framed as a dharmic service that re-manifests the sanctity of a kṣetra for future pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa liṅga-kṣetra/ādyatīrtha region that had become obscured and is now targeted for renewal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Temple construction (prāsāda-nirmāṇa) is introduced as the intended sacred act.