Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ततो ब्रह्मा स्वयं दृष्ट्वा तान्परीक्ष्य प्रयत्नतः । ऋत्विक्त्वे च नियोज्याथ ततश्चक्रे तदर्हणम्

Transliteration

tato brahmā svayaṃ dṛṣṭvā tānparīkṣya prayatnataḥ | ṛtviktve ca niyojyātha tataścakre tadarhaṇam

Translation

پھر برہما نے خود انہیں دیکھا اور بڑی کوشش سے پرکھا؛ رِتوِج کے منصب پر مقرر کر کے، پھر ان کے لیے مناسب تعظیم و تکریم کی رسم ادا کی۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Context/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = then/thereupon

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having seen

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• parīkṣya: having examined
• parīkṣya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-√īkṣ (ईक्ष्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having examined

• prayatnataḥ: with effort/carefully
• prayatnataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त) = from effortfully/with effort; manner adverb

• ṛtviktve: in the role of priests
• ṛtviktve: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtvik-tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक -त्व; अर्थ: ‘ऋत्विज्-भावे’ (in the capacity of priesthood)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• niyojya: having नियुक्तed/assigned
• niyojya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-√yuj (युज्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having appointed/assigned; उपसर्ग: नि

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रमसूचक particle) = then/thereafter

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Context/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय = thereafter

• cakre: did/performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tad-arhaṇam: the honoring (of them)
• tad-arhaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + arhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘तस्य अर्हणम्’ = honoring of them/that

Speaker

Narrative voice

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā personally inspects the assembled brāhmaṇas, then formally appoints them as ṛtvijas and performs honoring rites—offering seats, water, garlands, and respectful gestures in the yajña hall.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Ṛtviks

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship includes right conduct: selecting qualified priests and honoring them is itself a dharmic limb of yajña.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative of Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the verse highlights yajña procedure rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Careful examination (parīkṣā), appointment as ṛtviks, and performing arhaṇa (formal honoring/reception).