Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अपुत्रो वा नरो योऽथ नारी वा पूजयिष्यति । एतां यष्टिं त्वदीयां च पुत्रवान्स भविष्यति

Transliteration

aputro vā naro yo'tha nārī vā pūjayiṣyati | etāṃ yaṣṭiṃ tvadīyāṃ ca putravānsa bhaviṣyati

Translation

Будь то мужчина без сына или женщина, кто с почтением поклонится этому твоему жезлу, тот будет благословлён потомством.

Word by Word

• अपुत्रः: childless
• अपुत्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (conjunctive/sequence: ‘then/and’)

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• पूजयिष्यति: will worship
• पूजयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यष्टिम्: staff
• यष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वदीयाम्: belonging to you
• त्वदीयाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वदीय (प्रातिपदिक; युष्मद्-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: ‘and’)

• पुत्रवान्: having a son/children
• पुत्रवान्: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्रवत्/पुत्रवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma (and future pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A childless man and a woman approach the iron staff shrine with offerings; their faces show longing turning to hope; later, a cradle scene symbolizes the boon of offspring.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Bhārgava/Paraśurāma)
• Lohayaṣṭi (iron staff)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder aspirations are integrated into dharma: sincere worship in a sacred context is portrayed as removing obstacles to progeny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The promise is situated in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse itself does not specify the tīrtha name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the lohayaṣṭi with the intention of obtaining offspring.