Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

स्वाहाकारस्तनं देवाः पितरश्च स्वधामयम् । मुनयश्च वषट्कारं देवभूतसुरेश्वराः

Transliteration

svāhākārastanaṃ devāḥ pitaraśca svadhāmayam | munayaśca vaṣaṭkāraṃ devabhūtasureśvarāḥ

Translation

تشربُ الآلهةُ من ثدي «سْفَاهَا»، ويشربُ الآباءُ الأسلافُ (الپِتْر) من ثدي «سْفَدْهَا»، ويشربُ الحكماءُ (المُنِي) من ثدي «فَشَتْ»—وهكذا تستمدُّ الكائناتُ الإلهيةُ والأرواحُ والقوى الساميةُ غذاءَها منها.

Word by Word

• स्वाहाकारस्तनम्: the ‘svāhā-kāra’ breast
• स्वाहाकारस्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहाकार (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वधामयम्: consisting of svadhā
• स्वधामयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); -मय (made of/consisting of)

• मुनयः: the sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वषट्कारम्: the ‘vaṣaṭ-kāra’ (breast)
• वषट्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वषट्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवभूतसुरेश्वराः: the lords of gods, beings, and suras
• देवभूतसुरेश्वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (समाहार/विशेषण-समास)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three streams of luminous ‘milk’ from a sacred cow’s teats: one rising to devas in the sky (svāhā), one flowing to pitṛs in a twilight realm (svadhā), one to seated sages with manuscripts and kuśa (vaṣaṭ).

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Munis
• Svāhā
• Svadhā
• Vaṣaṭ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings sustain cosmic relationships: devas, pitṛs, and sages are honored through the proper sacrificial calls and duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily ritual-theological; it sits within Dharmāraṇya’s dharma discourse rather than naming a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of svāhā for deva-offerings, svadhā for pitṛ-offerings, and vaṣaṭ in Vedic sacrificial procedure.