Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पुत्र उवाच । एतन्मम महाभागा यद्ब्रुवंति व्रतादिकम् । तस्मात्कार्यो मया तात मौंजीहोमो न संशयः

Transliteration

putra uvāca | etanmama mahābhāgā yadbruvaṃti vratādikam | tasmātkāryo mayā tāta mauṃjīhomo na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

மகன் கூறினான்—“மகாபாகர்கள் விரதம் முதலியவற்றைப் பற்றி எனக்குச் சொல்வது எனக்கே உரியது. ஆகவே, தந்தையே, நான் மௌஞ்ஜீ-ஹோமத்தை நிச்சயமாகச் செய்ய வேண்டும்; ஐயமில்லை.”

Word by Word

• putraḥ: the son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (perfect, 3rd sg)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (this)

• mama: my/of me
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular: of me/my)

• mahābhāgāḥ: the noble ones / fortunate (people)
• mahābhāgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural); समासः—महान् + भागः (कर्मधारय: ‘महाभाग’ = very fortunate/noble)

• yat: what/that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun; ‘which/that which’)

• bruvanti: they say
• bruvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (present indicative, 3rd pl)

• vrata-ādikam: vows and related observances
• vrata-ādikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular); समासः—व्रत + आदिक (तत्पुरुष: ‘व्रतानि आदीनि यस्मिन्’/‘vows and the like’)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-शब्दः पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण कारणार्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (ablative used adverbially: therefore/from that)

• kāryaḥ: should be done
• kāryaḥ: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययः—ण्यत्/तव्यत्-अर्थे ‘कार्य’ (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (to be done/should be done)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular: by me)

• tāta: O father
• tāta: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• mauṃjīhomaḥ: the mauñjī-homa
• mauṃjīhomaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauṃjīhoma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular); समासः—मौञ्जी + होम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• na: no/not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

Speaker

Son (within the narrative)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: tāta (father)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The son speaks with determination to his father, pointing toward the homa altar; munja grass and offerings are prepared; the father watches, moved by the son’s resolve.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reform begins when the wrongdoer accepts dharmic guidance and commits firmly to prescribed purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; the focus is on the vow and homa within the broader tīrtha-oriented discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Mauñjī-homa, alongside vrata-related observances, as a chosen expiation.