Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

चक्रुश्चाथ कथाश्चित्रा यज्ञकर्मसमुद्भवाः । सोमपानस्य संबन्धो व्यत्ययं च समुद्भवम्

Transliteration

cakruścātha kathāścitrā yajñakarmasamudbhavāḥ | somapānasya saṃbandho vyatyayaṃ ca samudbhavam

Translation

แล้วพวกเขาก็สนทนาหลากหลายอันวิจิตร อันเกิดจากระเบียบพิธียัญญกรรม ทั้งถกเถียงความสัมพันธ์อันถูกต้องของการดื่มโสม และความคลาดเคลื่อนอันตรงข้ามที่อาจบังเกิดขึ้น

Word by Word

• चक्रुः: they did / made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमार्थक (then)

• कथाः: stories / discussions
• कथाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• चित्राः: varied / wonderful
• चित्राः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कथाः)

• यज्ञकर्मसमुद्भवाः: arising from sacrificial rites
• यज्ञकर्मसमुद्भवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ + कर्म + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘यज्ञकर्मणः समुद्भवाः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (कथाः)

• सोमपानस्य: of Soma-drinking
• सोमपानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘सोमस्य पानम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• संबन्धः: connection / relation
• संबन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• व्यत्ययम्: reversal / discrepancy
• व्यत्ययम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• समुद्भवम्: origin / arising
• समुद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; अर्थतः ‘उत्पत्तिम्/प्रभवम्’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of devas and learned priests in discussion, gesturing toward ritual implements—Soma vessel, ladles, fire altar—while debating correct connections and possible inversions.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in sacred rites depends on right understanding and careful adherence; even learned people must guard against ritual inversion (vyatyaya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader episode belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya with the Rūpatīrtha context, though this verse itself focuses on yajña procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Soma-drinking (somapāna) is referenced, emphasizing its proper linkage within the sacrificial sequence and warning against procedural deviation.