Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

म्लेच्छैः स्पृष्टान्यसंदिग्धं प्रयागादीनि कृत्स्नशः । यज्ञस्तु विहितस्तेन भयायं तत्कृतेन च

Transliteration

mlecchaiḥ spṛṣṭānyasaṃdigdhaṃ prayāgādīni kṛtsnaśaḥ | yajñastu vihitastena bhayāyaṃ tatkṛtena ca

Translation

“ప్రయాగాది తీర్థాలు మ్లేచ్ఛుల స్పర్శతో నిస్సందేహంగా పూర్తిగా అపవిత్రమయ్యాయి. అందుకే అతడు యజ్ఞాన్ని ఏర్పాటు చేశాడు; ఆ కార్యం వల్ల భయమూ కలిగింది।”

Word by Word

• म्लेच्छैः: by mlecchas
• म्लेच्छैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mleccha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• स्पृष्टानि: touched/defiled
• स्पृष्टानि: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘touched/defiled’

• असंदिग्धम्: undoubtedly
• असंदिग्धम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃdigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘undoubtedly’ (accusative used adverbially)

• प्रयागादीनि: Prayāga and other (tīrthas)
• प्रयागादीनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘प्रयाग-आदि’ = Prayāga and others

• कृत्स्नशः: entirely
• कृत्स्नशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsnaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/समग्रता-बोधक adverb) = wholly, entirely

• यज्ञः: the sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• विहितः: was prescribed/performed
• विहितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ordained/performed’

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Agent/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भयाय: for fear (as a cause/purpose)
• भयाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (dative of purpose)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्कृतेन: because of that (deed/reason)
• तत्कृतेन: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘तत्-कृत’ = ‘done by that/for that reason’; instrumental of cause

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

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (and other major tīrthas)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide view of Prayāga’s confluence with pilgrims; a contrasting overlay shows ‘defilement anxiety’—foreign troops/outsiders at the ghāṭas—while priests prepare a yajña-vedi with fire, ladles, and offerings; faces show tension and urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Mlecchas
• Yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred order seems threatened, dharmic communities respond through sanctioned rites, yet must remain vigilant about fear-driven actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga is referenced as a प्रमुख tīrtha among many, within a discussion about maintaining tīrtha sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yajña is mentioned as being instituted, though details of its procedure are not given in this verse.