Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

जागर्ति महिमा यस्य ब्रह्माद्यैर्नैव लिख्यते । पंचायतनमेतद्धि पूज्यते गृहमेधिभिः

Transliteration

jāgarti mahimā yasya brahmādyairnaiva likhyate | paṃcāyatanametaddhi pūjyate gṛhamedhibhiḥ

Translation

A grandeza deste arranjo sagrado está desperta e manifesta, e ainda assim nem Brahmā e os demais conseguem descrevê-la por completo. De fato, isto é o Pañcāyatana, o culto quíntuplo, a ser reverenciado pelos chefes de família.

Word by Word

• जागर्ति: shines/awakens
• जागर्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महिमा: greatness, glory
• महिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ब्रह्माद्यैः: by Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (agent: ‘by Brahmā and others’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• एव: even/indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• लिख्यते: is written/described
• लिख्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• पंचायतनम्: the five-shrine set (pañcāyatana)
• पंचायतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-आयतन (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च=five, आयतन=abode/shrine)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• गृहमेधिभिः: by householders
• गृहमेधिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (agent: ‘by householders’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcāyatana (as a sacred worship-system rather than a single physical tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pañcāyatana altar with five icons arranged symmetrically; a householder couple performs ārati; the scene conveys ‘manifest greatness’ beyond description.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Pañcāyatana
• Gṛhamedhin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder worship, when harmonized as pañcāyatana, carries a greatness that transcends ordinary description.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse glorifies a worship-system (pañcāyatana) within the broader tīrtha-centered dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Householders are enjoined to worship through the pañcāyatana framework (fivefold domestic sanctum/devotional set).