Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । यदि त्वं नागरैर्बाह्यं यज्ञं चात्र करिष्यसि । तदन्येऽपि सुराः सर्वे तव मार्गानुयायि नः । भविष्यन्ति तथा भूपास्तत्कार्यो न मखस्त्वया

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | yadi tvaṃ nāgarairbāhyaṃ yajñaṃ cātra kariṣyasi | tadanye'pi surāḥ sarve tava mārgānuyāyi naḥ | bhaviṣyanti tathā bhūpāstatkāryo na makhastvayā

Translation

พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายกล่าวว่า: “หากท่านประกอบยัญญะที่นี่โดยกีดกันชาวนาคาระออกไป เทวะทั้งปวงอื่น ๆ ก็จักยึดตามแบบอย่างของท่าน เช่นเดียวกัน พระราชาทั้งหลายก็จักทำเช่นนั้น ดังนั้น ยัญญะเช่นนี้ไม่ควรที่ท่านจะกระทำ”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; वक्तारः (speakers)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् (they said)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional: if)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (you)

• नागरैः: by/with the Nāgaras
• नागरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/सह-सम्बन्धे (by/with the Nāgaras)

• बाह्यम्: outside/external
• बाह्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘यज्ञम्’ विशेषणम् (external/outside)

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

• करिष्यसि: you will perform
• करिष्यसि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (you will do/perform)

• तत्: then
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूतं सर्वनाम (then/thereupon)

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘सुराः’ विशेषणम् (other)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (also/even)

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्तृपदम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘सुराः’ विशेषणम् (all)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (your/of you)

• मार्ग-अनुयायिनः: followers of the path
• मार्ग-अनुयायिनः: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग + अनुयायिन् (प्रातिपदिक; अनु-या (धातु) + णिनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मार्गस्य अनुयायिनः = followers of the path)

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (of us/our)

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् (they will become)

• तथा: likewise/thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in the same way)

• भूपाः: kings
• भूपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्तृपदम् (kings)

• तत्कार्यः: should be done (that task)
• तत्कार्यः: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ (धातु) + ण्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तत् कार्यः = that is to be done/that should be done)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (not)

• मखः: sacrifice (ritual)
• मखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विधेय-नाम (sacrifice)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agentive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे (by you)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (assembled priests)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara-kṣetra (ritual precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of brāhmaṇas addresses the lord of gods near a sacrificial ground, warning against excluding Nāgaras; gestures of admonition, concern for societal precedent, and the presence of ritual implements (kuśa, ladles, fire-altar).

Characters & Entities

• Nāgaras
• Surāḥ (Devas)
• Bhūpāḥ (kings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in a sacred place must set a righteous precedent—exclusion in ritual becomes a harmful model for society and even the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya about a particular sacred kṣetra associated with the Nāgaras (the local community), emphasizing the sanctity of proper conduct there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A warning: do not perform a yajña in this kṣetra while keeping the Nāgaras outside/excluded.