Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाः पुरतः सर्वे शांता दांता जितेंद्रियाः । गर्त्तातीर्थोद्भवं विप्रं तेषां मध्ये निवेशयेत्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāḥ purataḥ sarve śāṃtā dāṃtā jiteṃdriyāḥ | garttātīrthodbhavaṃ vipraṃ teṣāṃ madhye niveśayet

Translation

ให้พราหมณ์ทั้งปวงนั่งอยู่เบื้องหน้า—สงบ สำรวม และชนะอินทรีย์; แล้วให้พราหมณ์ผู้เกี่ยวเนื่องกับคัรตตา-ตีรถะ (Garttā-tīrtha) นั่งอยู่ท่ามกลางพวกท่าน

Word by Word

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

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ब्राह्मणाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शान्ताः: calm
• शान्ताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ब्राह्मणाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दान्ताः: self-restrained
• दान्ताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘दम’ (self-controlled) अर्थे; ब्राह्मणाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जितेन्द्रियाः: having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितेन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक: जित + इन्द्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येषाम्’

• गर्त्तातीर्थोद्भवम्: originating from Garttā-tīrtha
• गर्त्तातीर्थोद्भवम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्त्ता-तीर्थ-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक: गर्त्ता + तीर्थ + उद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘गर्त्तातीर्थात् उद्भवः’ इति पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः; विप्रम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरणे

• निवेशयेत्: should place
• निवेशयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+विश् (धातु) → निवेशय (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; causative sense ‘should place/settle’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Garttā-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined assembly of brāhmaṇas seated in front, hands in añjali or holding darbha; in the center sits the Garttā-tīrtha brāhmaṇa, marked as leader, with calm gaze and ritual implements.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Garttā-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner discipline—peace, restraint, and sense-mastery—is presented as essential for sanctifying tīrtha-rituals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Garttā-tīrtha is explicitly named as the tīrtha connected to the central officiant.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seat disciplined Brāhmaṇas in front and place the Garttā-tīrtha-associated Brāhmaṇa among them as a central figure.