Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

ततो मध्यगमाहूय स तदा नगरोद्भवम् । श्रुताध्ययनसंपन्नं वृहस्पतिमिवापरम् । अब्रवीच्छ्लक्ष्णया वाचा त्यक्ता मौनं पितामहः

Transliteration

tato madhyagamāhūya sa tadā nagarodbhavam | śrutādhyayanasaṃpannaṃ vṛhaspatimivāparam | abravīcchlakṣṇayā vācā tyaktā maunaṃ pitāmahaḥ

Translation

پھر اُس نے درمیان سے ایک ناگر-النسب کو آگے بلایا—جو شروتی کے مطالعہ و تلاوت میں کامل تھا، گویا دوسرا برہسپتی۔ تب پِتامہ برہما نے خاموشی ترک کر کے نرم لہجے میں فرمایا۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तस्मात्/ततः = ‘thereupon/then’

• madhyagam: the one who goes in the middle / mediator
• madhyagam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समास: मध्यं गच्छति इति मध्यमगः (tatpuruṣa)

• āhūya: having summoned
• āhūya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-hū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having called/summoned’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tadā: at that time
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): ‘at that time’

• nagarodbhavam: one born from the city / of city-origin
• nagarodbhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समास: नगरात् उद्भवः = नगरोद्भवः (tatpuruṣa, ablative relation)

• śruta: learning (heard knowledge)
• śruta: None (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग), ‘heard/learning’ (as noun element)

• adhyayana: study
• adhyayana: None (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग), ‘study/recitation’

• saṃpannam: endowed (with)
• saṃpannam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘endowed/possessed’

• śrutādhyayana-saṃpannam: accomplished in learning and study
• śrutādhyayana-saṃpannam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruta + adhyayana + saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: श्रुतं च अध्ययनं च ताभ्यां सम्पन्नः (tatpuruṣa; instrumental sense)

• vṛhaspatim: Bṛhaspati
• vṛhaspatim: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upamana-marker (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle of comparison): ‘like/as’

• aparam: another
• aparam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘another/second’

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘said/spoke’

• ślakṣṇayā: with gentle/smooth
• ślakṣṇayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślakṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (वाचाम्)

• vācā: speech, words
• vācā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having abandoned’

• maunam: silence
• maunam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• pitāmahaḥ: the grandsire/elder (Pitāmaha)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator; direct speech about to be delivered by Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, previously silent, gently addresses a learned Nāgara-born brāhmaṇa, likened to Bṛhaspati, in a celestial assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Nāgaras
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is transmitted through qualified, learned representatives; divine guidance favors those grounded in śruta and adhyayana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Audumbarī-centered tīrtha narrative, setting up Brahmā’s instruction for proper arrangement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse introduces authoritative instruction regarding sacred arrangements.