Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

आमंत्र्य पूर्वदिवसे निरीहा अपि ये द्विजाः । अलोलुपा व्याधिहीना न तु ये ग्रामयाजिनः

Transliteration

āmaṃtrya pūrvadivase nirīhā api ye dvijāḥ | alolupā vyādhihīnā na tu ye grāmayājinaḥ

Translation

حتى البراهمة (ذوو الميلاد الثاني) وإن كانوا غير ساعين وراء شؤون الدنيا، ينبغي دعوتهم في اليوم السابق: من كانوا منزَّهين عن الطمع وخالين من المرض؛ لا أولئك الذين يعتاشون من إقامة قرابين القرى كمهنة.

Word by Word

• आमन्त्र्य: having invited
• आमन्त्र्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• पूर्वदिवसे: on the previous day
• पूर्वदिवसे: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Loc.), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘पूर्वः दिवसः’

• निरीहाः: without ulterior motive; unselfish
• निरीहाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरीह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; द्विजाः-विशेषणम्

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle ‘also/even’)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन

• अलोलुपाः: not greedy
• अलोलुपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + लोलुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; नञ्-समासान्त विशेषणम्

• व्याधिहीनाः: free from disease
• व्याधिहीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (vyādhiḥ na asti—hīnāḥ)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (but/however)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• ग्रामयाजिनः: village-priests; those who officiate for a village (as profession)
• ग्रामयाजिनः: Karta (Excluded subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + याजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (grāme yājinaḥ / grāmasya yājinaḥ)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Māhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A messenger/householder respectfully inviting austere brāhmaṇas on the prior day; the invitees appear simple, ungreedy, and composed; contrast implied with bustling professional ritualists in the background kept at distance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha becomes meaningful when performed with discernment—choosing worthy, self-restrained recipients rather than treating the rite as a transaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Mahākṣetra within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invite suitable Brāhmaṇas a day in advance for the śrāddha, and avoid professionalized officiants described as grāmayājinaḥ.