Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 166

Devanagari script

ममात्र दीयतां स्थानं स्थानेऽत्रैव द्विजोत्तमाः । येन संवत्सरस्यांते पंचरात्रं वसाम्यहम्

Transliteration

mamātra dīyatāṃ sthānaṃ sthāne'traiva dvijottamāḥ | yena saṃvatsarasyāṃte paṃcarātraṃ vasāmyaham

Translation

اے برہمنوں کے برگزیدہ لوگو! مجھے یہیں ایک مقرر ٹھکانہ عطا کرو، تاکہ ہر سال کے اختتام پر میں پانچ راتیں یہاں قیام کر سکوں۔

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• दीयताम्: let (it) be given
• दीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थानम्: a place, abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘श्रेष्ठः द्विजानाम्’)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• संवत्सरस्य: of the year
• संवत्सरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (Time-location/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter usage), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चरात्रम्: five nights (a five-night period)
• पञ्चरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समास (numeral compound)

• वसामि: I dwell
• वसामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa/Pākaśāsana) (deduced from context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmasthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant deity (Śakra/Indra implied by later verses) respectfully petitions assembled brāhmaṇas for a fixed abode at a sacred Brahmasthāna, requesting an annual five-night residence at year’s end.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brāhmaṇas (dvijottama)
• Pañca-rātra (five nights)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are defined by divine presence and periodic sacred time; a deity’s annual stay elevates the site’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse indicates a particular locale within Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrtha-māhātmya, but the site-name is not stated in this shloka alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-marker is given: “at the end of the year” and “for five nights (pañca-rātra),” implying an annual observance connected to the deity’s residence.