Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सप्तावर्तं द्विजश्रेष्ठाः सदोमध्यगतेन च । यत्राऽगच्छंति ते सर्वे देवा यज्ञांशलालसाः

Transliteration

saptāvartaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ sadomadhyagatena ca | yatrā'gacchaṃti te sarve devā yajñāṃśalālasāḥ

Translation

โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ ในพิธีเวียนเจ็ดรอบ ณ ใจกลางมณฑปยัญญะ เหล่าเทพทั้งปวงย่อมเสด็จมาที่นั่น ด้วยความใคร่ในส่วนแห่งยัญญะของตน

Word by Word

• सप्तावर्तम्: (to) the seven-circled/with seven turns (place)
• सप्तावर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सप्त + आवर्त)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः)

• सदः: of the assembly (sadas)
• सदः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• मध्य: in the middle
• मध्य: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वे)

• गतेन: by/with (it) being situated/placed
• गतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सप्तावर्तम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्); ‘गतेन’ = ‘स्थितेन/प्राप्तेन’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• आगच्छन्ति: come
• आगच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सर्वे देवा इत्यस्य सह)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (देवाः)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यज्ञांशलालसाः: eager for a share in the sacrifice
• यज्ञांशलालसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञांश + लालस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य अंशे लालसाः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacrificial hall (sadas) with a central altar; sevenfold circumambulation paths marked; devas subtly arriving in the air, drawn toward the rising smoke of offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• devāḥ (gods)
• yajña
• sadas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When yajña is performed correctly, it becomes a meeting-point of heaven and earth—divine forces gather where dharma is honored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the sanctity of the yajña-space within the tīrtha narrative; the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A seven-circuited (saptāvarta) sacrificial performance centered in the sadas, emphasizing proper structure so devas partake.