Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कथं शुद्धिः प्रकर्तव्या तस्य सर्वं ब्रवीहि नः । नागरस्य समस्तस्य देशांतरगतस्य च

Transliteration

kathaṃ śuddhiḥ prakartavyā tasya sarvaṃ bravīhi naḥ | nāgarasya samastasya deśāṃtaragatasya ca

Translation

ਤਾਂ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁੱਧੀ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇ? ਸਾਨੂੰ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਦੱਸੋ—ਸਾਰੇ ਨਾਗਰ ਸਮੁਦਾਇ ਲਈ ਵੀ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਲਈ ਵੀ ਜੋ ਦੇਸ਼ਾਂਤਰ ਚਲਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੋਵੇ।

Word by Word

• katham: how?
• katham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• śuddhiḥ: purification
• śuddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prakartavyā: is to be done/should be performed
• prakartavyā: Kriya (Predicate obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (Gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शुद्धिः इति कर्तृपदस्य विधेय)

• tasya: of him/of that person
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bravīhi: tell (you)
• bravīhi: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• naḥ: to us
• naḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (to us)

• nāgarasya: of a Nāgara
• nāgarasya: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samastasya: entire, whole
• samastasya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• deśāntaragatasya: who has gone to another country/region
• deśāntaragatasya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deśāntara + gata (प्रातिपदिक); (देशान्तरं गतः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (inquiring, as narrated by Viśvāmitra)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (unnamed king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas earnestly ask for the full purification method, explicitly including the case of a Nāgara who has gone to another land; the emotional undertone is anxiety about exclusion and desire for reintegration.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgara
• Śuddhi
• Deśāntara (foreign region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma adapts through prescribed procedures: even when one travels or lives elsewhere, purification norms preserve continuity of sacred life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is stated; the inquiry concerns portable dharma—purification rules applicable across regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request is made for the full method of śuddhi, including cases of community-wide purification and individuals residing in other regions.