Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

वयं बाह्याः कृता देव श्राद्धानां बलविद्विषा । तव श्राद्धे गता यस्माद्गयायां प्राङ्निमंत्रिताः

Transliteration

vayaṃ bāhyāḥ kṛtā deva śrāddhānāṃ balavidviṣā | tava śrāddhe gatā yasmādgayāyāṃ prāṅnimaṃtritāḥ

Translation

يا ربّ، لقد أُقصينا عن طقوس الشرادها (śrāddha) على يد عدوّ بالا، أي إندرا. لأننا كنّا قد ذهبنا إلى شرادهاك في غايا بعد أن دُعينا إليها سلفًا.

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Nom. Pl.

• बाह्याः: excluded; left out
• बाह्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier of वयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masc. Nom. Pl.; ‘excluded/outside’

• कृताः: were made
• कृताः: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Past participle, Masc. Nom. Pl.; कर्मणि भावः ‘made (to be)’

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन = Voc. Sg.

• श्राद्धानाम्: of the śrāddhas
• श्राद्धानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन = Neuter, Gen. Pl.

• बलविद्विषा: by the enemy of Bala (i.e., Indra)
• बलविद्विषा: Karana (Agent/Doer in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala-vidviṣ (प्रातिपदिक: bala + vidviṣ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बलस्य विद्विट् = ‘enemy of Bala’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Masc. Instr. Sg.

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन = Gen. Sg. (‘your’)

• श्राद्धे: in (your) śrāddha
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन = Neuter, Loc. Sg.

• गताः: went; having gone
• गताः: Kriya (Action/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Past participle, Masc. Nom. Pl.

• यस्मात्: since; because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-शब्द; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे = Abl. Sg. used as ‘since/because’

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = Fem. Loc. Sg.

• प्राक्: previously; beforehand
• प्राक्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = adverb ‘previously/before’

• निमन्त्रिताः: invited
• निमन्त्रिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier of वयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-√mantr (धातु) → nimantrita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Past participle, Masc. Nom. Pl.; ‘invited’

Speaker

Viśvedevāḥ (addressing Brahmā, ‘Deva’/Pitāmaha, per previous verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (overall frame) and Brahmā (within embedded speech)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before Brahmā, the Viśvedevās explain their grievance: Indra has cast them out from śrāddhas though they had been invited to Brahmā’s Gayā śrāddha; their faces show wounded dignity and sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevāḥ
• Indra (Balavidviṣ)
• Bala
• Gayā
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is bound to sacred protocol and invitations; violating ordained participation is portrayed as an offense against dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly referenced, famed as a principal pitṛ-tīrtha for śrāddha and ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights the importance of proper nimantraṇa (invitation) and rightful inclusion of śrāddha-deities such as the Viśvedevās.