Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादयो यज्ञाः सर्वे संपूर्णदक्षिणाः । तस्य क्षेत्रस्य पुरतः कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādayo yajñāḥ sarve saṃpūrṇadakṣiṇāḥ | tasya kṣetrasya purataḥ kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm

Translation

ยัญญะทั้งหลาย เช่น อัคนิษโฏมะ เป็นต้น แม้ประกอบพร้อมด้วยทักษิณาทั้งสิ้น ก็ยังไม่อาจเทียบได้แม้เพียงหนึ่งในสิบหกส่วนแห่งบุญที่ตั้งอยู่เบื้องหน้ากษेत्रนั้น

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादयः: Agniṣṭoma and others
• अग्निष्टोमादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (अग्निष्टोमः आदिः येषाम्)

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (यज्ञाः)

• संपूर्णदक्षिणाः: with complete fees (dakṣiṇā)
• संपूर्णदक्षिणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (संपूर्णाः दक्षिणाः येषाम्)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रस्य)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरतः: before/in comparison to
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक/सम्बन्धवाचक (in front of/before)

• कलाम्: a fraction/part
• कलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अर्हन्ति: are worth/merit
• अर्हन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• षोडशीम्: sixteenth
• षोडशीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कलाम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raktaśṛṅga / Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic scale of merit: on one side, a grand soma-yajña with priests, fire altars, cows and gifts (dakṣiṇā) complete; on the other, the radiant kṣetra-gate/temple presence of Hāṭakeśvara. The kṣetra side shines overwhelmingly, indicating ‘not even a sixteenth’ comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma (yajña)
• Kṣetra (holy region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa elevates sacred geography: the merit of a divinely charged kṣetra can surpass even major Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same “that kṣetra” of Adhyāya 16—contextually the Hāṭakeśvara-associated sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse ranks merits, implying pilgrimage/attendance at the kṣetra as the superior practice.