Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यैर्येर्नरैर्निशेशस्य प्रासादो विहितः क्षितौ । तेते मुक्तिपदं प्राप्ताः कृत्वाऽथ शुभसंचयम्

Transliteration

yairyernarairniśeśasya prāsādo vihitaḥ kṣitau | tete muktipadaṃ prāptāḥ kṛtvā'tha śubhasaṃcayam

Translation

جن جن لوگوں نے زمین پر نِشیش (رات کے ناتھ) کے لیے محل نما مندر بنایا، وہی نیک ثواب کا ذخیرہ کر کے مقامِ نجات (مکتی) کو پا لیتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (Agent; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘by whom’

• यैः: by those (very)
• यैः: Karta (Agent; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• निशेशस्य: of the lord of the night
• निशेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘निशायाः ईशः’ = lord of the night (Moon/Soma)

• प्रासादः: palace/temple
• प्रासादः: Karma (Object; in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विहितः: constructed; arranged
• विहितः: Kriyā (Predicate; passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘has been made/constructed’

• क्षितौ: on the earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ते: those (indeed)
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

• मुक्तिपदम्: the state of liberation
• मुक्तिपदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘मुक्तेः पदम्’ = state/abode of liberation

• प्राप्ताः: attained
• प्राप्ताः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘have attained’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Converb; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having done’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; sequence)

• शुभसंचयम्: a store of merit
• शुभसंचयम्: Karma (Object of कृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘शुभः संचयः’ = accumulation of merit (karmic good)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Niśeśa/Soma-prāsāda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A completed Soma-prāsāda gleams under moonlight; the donor-family stands with folded hands as priests perform consecration; a subtle symbolic ascent (light path) suggests liberation attained through śubha-saṃcaya.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Niśeśa)
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Selfless sacred construction dedicated to the deity becomes a direct cause for great merit culminating in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is Candra/Soma-centered; the verse highlights the act (Candra-prāsāda construction) more than a named geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Constructing a prāsāda for Candra as a highly meritorious dharmic offering.