Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अन्यजातो नरो योऽत्र प्रकरोति निमज्जनम् । तस्य चिह्नं त्वया कार्यं विस्फोटकसमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

anyajāto naro yo'tra prakaroti nimajjanam | tasya cihnaṃ tvayā kāryaṃ visphoṭakasamudbhavam

Translation

இங்கே வேறு பிறப்புக் குழுவைச் சேர்ந்தவன் மூழ்கி நீராடினால், அவன்மேல் வெடிப்புப் புண்கள் எழும் அடையாளத்தை நீ ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டும்.

Word by Word

• अन्यजातः: of another birth/caste
• अन्यजातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya + jāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (anyasmāt jātaḥ = born of another caste)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• प्रकरोति: does, performs
• प्रकरोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• निमज्जनम्: immersion (bath)
• निमज्जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ni + majj (धातु) + ana (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ल्युट्/अन-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक (act of dipping)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चिह्नम्: a mark, sign
• चिह्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cihna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्यम्: to be made/done
• कार्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• विस्फोटक-समुद्भवम्: arising as blisters/eruptions
• विस्फोटक-समुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: visphoṭaka + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (visphoṭakāt samudbhavam = arising as blisters/eruptions)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (addressing Agni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-sveda-jala tīrtha (restricted)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agni (Vahni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guarded sacred pool with Agni’s presence; a transgressor approaches to immerse; a sudden eruption-like mark appears on the skin, while brāhmaṇas and the fiery guardian power stand as witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Non-dvija bather (anyajāta nara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text portrays sacred rites as governed by adhikāra (eligibility); violating prescribed boundaries is shown to produce immediate consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha where immersion is regulated and where Agni’s water is established as a purifier for dvijas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restriction on who may perform immersion (nimajjana) and a punitive sign (boils) for transgressors.