Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि स्वशाखायाः स्मृतं नृप । स्वदेशवर्णजातीयं यथा स्यादत्र निर्वृतिः

Transliteration

ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi svaśākhāyāḥ smṛtaṃ nṛpa | svadeśavarṇajātīyaṃ yathā syādatra nirvṛtiḥ

Translation

如今，大王啊，我将宣说各自吠陀支派（śākhā）所传记之法，并兼述随其地域、种姓（varṇa）与族群相应的行持，使此处得以圆满、如法而正。

Word by Word

• अतः: thereafter/therefore
• अतः: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थक (therefore/thereafter)

• परम्: further, next
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (further/next)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वशाखायाः: of (one’s) own śākhā
• स्वशाखायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of one’s own branch (Vedic school)’

• स्मृतम्: what is prescribed/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘स्मृत’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘remembered/recorded (in smṛti)’

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• स्वदेशवर्णजातीयम्: according to one’s own country and varṇa-group
• स्वदेशवर्णजातीयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + जातीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (स्मृतम्)

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunctive/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/उद्देश्यवाचक (so that/as)

• स्यात्: may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deshadhikarana (Locative adverb/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here)

• निर्वृतिः: satisfaction/settlement
• निर्वृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage points to different manuscripts/recension scrolls labeled by śākhā, while attendants bring regional offerings; the king listens as ‘local custom’ and ‘Vedic branch’ are reconciled.

Characters & Entities

• Śākhā
• Varṇa
• Jāti
• Deśa (region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is both universal and contextual: śrāddha should respect core principles while aligning with one’s śākhā and legitimate local tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The site-context remains Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, though the verse itself discusses ritual adaptability rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes that śrāddha details be followed according to one’s Vedic śākhā and appropriate regional/communal norms.