Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

स्थापयामास विप्रेंद्राः श्रद्धया परया युतः । ततश्चानीय विप्रेंद्रं मध्यगं नागरोद्भवम् । गर्तातीर्थसमुद्भूतमाहिताग्निं प्रयाजिनम् । यथैतन्नगरस्थानं तथा त्वमपि दीक्षितः

Transliteration

sthāpayāmāsa vipreṃdrāḥ śraddhayā parayā yutaḥ | tataścānīya vipreṃdraṃ madhyagaṃ nāgarodbhavam | gartātīrthasamudbhūtamāhitāgniṃ prayājinam | yathaitannagarasthānaṃ tathā tvamapi dīkṣitaḥ

Translation

ହେ ବିପ୍ରେନ୍ଦ୍ରମାନେ! ପରମ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଯୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇ ସେ (ଲିଙ୍ଗକୁ) ସ୍ଥାପନ କଲେ। ପରେ ଗର୍ତାତୀର୍ଥରୁ ଉଦ୍ଭୂତ, ନାଗରମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ମଧ୍ୟସ୍ଥ, ଆହିତାଗ୍ନି ଓ ଯଜ୍ଞକର୍ତ୍ତା ଏମିତି ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣକୁ ଆଣି କୁହାଗଲା—“ଯେପରି ଏହା ନଗରସ୍ଥାନ, ସେପରି ତୁମେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଏଠାରେ ବିଧିପୂର୍ବକ ଦୀକ୍ଷିତ ହେଉ।”

Word by Word

• sthāpayāmāsa: caused to be established / installed
• sthāpayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ṇic (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• vipra-indrāḥ: chief Brahmins
• vipra-indrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra-indra (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• parayā: supreme/great
• parayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (śraddhāyāḥ)

• yutaḥ: endowed (with)
• yutaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘युक्तः’ (endowed)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः (adverb of sequence)

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

• ānīya: having brought
• ānīya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु) + ā-
• Form: कृदन्त; ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (gerund/absolutive) ‘आनीय’ = having brought

• vipra-indram: the chief Brahmin
• vipra-indram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra-indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• madhya-gam: situated in the middle
• madhya-gam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhya-ga (प्रातिपदिक; मध्य + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• nagara-udbhavam: born in Nāgara (lineage/place)
• nagara-udbhavam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nagara-udbhava (प्रातिपदिक; नगर + उद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• gartā-tīrtha-samudbhūtam: arisen from the Gartā-tīrtha
• gartā-tīrtha-samudbhūtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gartā-tīrtha-samudbhūta (प्रातिपदिक; गर्ता + तीर्थ + समुद्भूत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• āhita-agniṃ: an Āhitāgni (maintainer of sacred fires)
• āhita-agniṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āhita-agni (प्रातिपदिक; आहित + अग्नि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; ‘आहिताग्नि’ (one who has established sacred fires)

• prayājinam: a performer of prayāja rites
• prayājinam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayājin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; ‘प्रयाजिन्’ (performer of prayāja rites)

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलना-बोधक (comparative ‘as’)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (nagarasthānam)

• nagara-sthānam: the city-location/seat
• nagara-sthānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara-sthāna (प्रातिपदिक; नगर + स्थान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विषय (as in comparison)

• tathā: so/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप-बोधक (correlative ‘so/likewise’)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपातः (also/even)

• dīkṣitaḥ: initiated/consecrated
• dīkṣitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīkṣita (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha (as origin-point) / nagara-sthāna within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial installation: a revered brāhmaṇa (āhitāgni) is brought to the center; sacred fires, ladles, and yajña implements appear; elders declare his dīkṣā to preside over the city-seat connected to the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Nāgaras
• Gartā-tīrtha
• Brāhmaṇa (viprendra)
• Yājñavalkya (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are sustained by faith, proper consecration, and the appointment of qualified ritual leaders rooted in Vedic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and the associated Gartā-tīrtha within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Consecration/establishment (sthāpanā) and initiation (dīkṣā) of an āhitāgni, sacrifice-performing brāhmaṇa to preside over rites.