Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अत ऊर्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि ये शस्ताः श्राद्धकर्मणि । ये ब्राह्मणाः पुरा ख्याताः पापानां पंक्तिपावनाः

Transliteration

ata ūrdhvaṃ pravakṣyāmi ye śastāḥ śrāddhakarmaṇi | ye brāhmaṇāḥ purā khyātāḥ pāpānāṃ paṃktipāvanāḥ

Translation

এতিয়া মই আগলৈ ক’ম, শ্ৰাদ্ধকৰ্মত যিসকল প্ৰশংসিত—সেই ব্ৰাহ্মণসকল, যিসকল প্ৰাচীন কালৰ পৰা ‘পংক্তিপাৱন’ বুলি খ্যাত, যাঁহাৰ কেৱল সান্নিধ্যেই পাপ দূৰ কৰে।

Word by Word

• ataḥ: thereafter/therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थ (therefore/thereupon)

• ūrdhvam: henceforth
• ūrdhvam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: henceforth/upwards)

• pravakṣyāmi: I shall declare
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• śastāḥ: commended/prescribed
• śastāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śasta (कृदन्त; √śās)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• śrāddhakarmaṇi: in the śrāddha ritual
• śrāddhakarmaṇi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śrāddhasya karma = śrāddha-rite)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• khyātāḥ: renowned/known
• khyātāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khyāta (कृदन्त; √khyā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• pāpānām: of sins/of sinners
• pāpānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• paṃktipāvanāḥ: purifiers of the (dining) row
• paṃktipāvanāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃkti + pāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (paṃkteḥ pāvana = purifier of the line/row)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant brāhmaṇa elder seated at the head of the dining row; subtle aura/light around him; the śrāddha pavilion appears purified, with ancestors symbolically pleased in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is strengthened by inviting those established in sacred learning and discipline, whose presence is believed to sanctify the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not glorify a particular tīrtha; it transitions to the list of recommended officiants/guests.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A positive prescription: the text will list who is ‘śasta’ (recommended) for śrāddha and described as paṃktipāvana.