Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादिका सर्वाः समुच्छेदं गताः क्रियाः । न कश्चिद्यजते मर्त्यो न व्रतं कुरुते नरः

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādikā sarvāḥ samucchedaṃ gatāḥ kriyāḥ | na kaścidyajate martyo na vrataṃ kurute naraḥ

Translation

พิธีกรรมทั้งหลาย เช่น อัคนิษโฏมะเป็นต้น ล้วนเสื่อมสูญไป; ไม่มีมนุษย์ใดประกอบยัญญะ และไม่มีผู้ใดถือวรตะ

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादिकाः: such as the Agniṣṭoma (rites) etc.
• अग्निष्टोमादिकाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निष्टोम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying क्रियाः); ‘-आदिक’ = “beginning with …” (ādi-tatpuruṣa)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying क्रियाः)

• समुच्छेदम्: destruction/cessation
• समुच्छेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• गताः: have gone (to)
• गताः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; क्रियापदवत् (have gone/come to)

• क्रियाः: rites/actions
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

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

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun: “anyone”)

• यजते: sacrifices/performs worship
• यजते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nipāta (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• कुरुते: does/undertakes
• कुरुते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deserted yajña-śālā with cold altars and extinguished fires; priests absent; in contrast, a nearby tīrtha remains vibrant, hinting at the shift from śrauta ritual to tīrtha practice.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma weakens, sacrifices and vows disappear—setting the stage for tīrtha and devotion to restore spiritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage concerns the Hāṭakeśvara tīrtha/kṣetra described in this Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse notes the absence of yajña (e.g., Agniṣṭoma) and vrata, implying their proper performance as ideal dharma.