Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं च यज तस्तस्य चतुर्वक्त्रस्य तत्र च । ऋषीणां कोटिरायाता दक्षिणापथवासिनाम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ ca yaja tastasya caturvaktrasya tatra ca | ṛṣīṇāṃ koṭirāyātā dakṣiṇāpathavāsinām

Translation

சூதர் கூறினார்—இவ்வாறு அங்கே நான்முகன் (பிரம்மா) யாகம் செய்து கொண்டிருக்கையில், தென்னாட்டில் (தக்ஷிணாபதம்) வாழும் முனிவர்களின் ஒரு கோடி அங்கே வந்து சேர்ந்தது।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यज: worship/sacrifice!
• यज: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then)

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

• चतुर्वक्त्रस्य: of the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्वक्त्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-समास (चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्य) — Genitive, Singular; numerical determinative compound

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऋषीणाम्: of sages / sages’
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कोटिः: a crore (ten million)
• कोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• आयाता: had come/arrived
• आयाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दक्षिणापथवासिनाम्: of the dwellers of the southern region (Dakṣiṇāpatha)
• दक्षिणापथवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणापथ (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणापथे वासिनः) — Genitive, Plural; determinative compound

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣa-type audience implied by Sūta frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, seated near a yajña-vedi; from the horizon arrive innumerable sages in groups, carrying kamaṇḍalus and staffs, dust of travel, converging toward the sacrificial ground.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Brahmā (Caturvaktra)
• Ṛṣis
• Dakṣiṇāpatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes especially potent when sanctified by yajña and the presence of realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Rūpatīrtha-māhātmya sequence in Nāgara Khaṇḍa (the site is identified as Rūpatīrtha later in the chapter).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yajña (sacrificial rite) performed by Brahmā is referenced as the sanctifying act.