Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आनर्ताधिपतेर्हर्म्यं संप्राप्तो गौरवाय सः । चातुर्मास्यकृते चैव मृत्तिकाग्रहणाय च

Transliteration

ānartādhipaterharmyaṃ saṃprāpto gauravāya saḥ | cāturmāsyakṛte caiva mṛttikāgrahaṇāya ca

Translation

அவர் ஆனர்த்த அரசனின் அரண்மனைக்கு அந்த இல்லத்தின் பெருமைக்காக வந்தார்; சாத்துர்மாஸ்ய விரதம் செய்யவும், புனித மண்ணை (ம்ருத்திகை) எடுக்கவும் வந்தார்।

Word by Word

• आनर्ताधिपतेः: of the lord/king of Ānarta
• आनर्ताधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आनर्तस्य अधिपतिः)

• हर्म्यम्: palace, mansion
• हर्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संप्राप्तः: arrived
• संप्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + संप्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (Past active participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (having arrived)

• गौरवाय: for honor/respect
• गौरवाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

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

• चातुर्मास्यकृते: for the Cāturmāsya (four-month observance)
• चातुर्मास्यकृते: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (अव्यय/निपातप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; अर्थे 'निमित्ते/हेतोः' (for the purpose of the cāturmāsya observance)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण

• मृत्तिकाग्रहणाय: for taking/collecting clay
• मृत्तिकाग्रहणाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृत्तिकायाः ग्रहणम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta region tīrtha (unspecified here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Parameśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā arrives at the Ānarta king’s palace; attendants announce him; the king rises to receive him. The sage carries kamaṇḍalu and staff, intent on Cāturmāsya and collecting sacred clay.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Ānarta (region/kingdom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hosting a great sage and supporting his vrata elevates a household’s honor and aligns royal life with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mention of mṛttikā-grahaṇa hints at a localized sacred practice; the specific tīrtha context unfolds within Adhyāya 178’s surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāturmāsya observance and mṛttikā-grahaṇa (ritual collection of clay).