Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

पितॄणां सर्वदेवेश इत्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः । न स्नातस्याधिकारोऽस्ति देवानां च द्विजातिवत्

Transliteration

pitṝṇāṃ sarvadeveśa ityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ | na snātasyādhikāro'sti devānāṃ ca dvijātivat

Translation

„Für die Pitṛs soll man handeln, o Herr aller Götter“ — so lautet die vedische Śruti. Wer nicht gebadet hat, besitzt keine rituelle Berechtigung; ebenso auch im Dienst der Götter, o Dvija (Zweimalgeborener).

Word by Word

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सर्वदेवेश: O lord of all gods
• सर्वदेवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां देवानाम् ईशः = lord of all gods)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वैदिकी: Vedic
• वैदिकी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रुतिः: scriptural statement (śruti)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• स्नातस्य: of one who has bathed
• स्नातस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; 'स्नात' = स्नानकृत (one who has bathed)

• अधिकारः: eligibility/authority
• अधिकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• द्विजातिवत्: like a twice-born (dvijāti)
• द्विजातिवत्: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (comparative indeclinable: 'like/as')

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva-sattama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twice-born pilgrim at a sacred waterbody performs snāna and ācamana before beginning pitṛ-tarpaṇa; subtle presence of Pitṛs receiving offerings, emphasizing purity as the gateway.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Vaidikī Śruti (Vedic teaching)
• Sarva-deveśa (Lord of all gods)
• dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual life is governed by śruti-backed discipline: purity and eligibility (adhikāra) are essential for rites to bear fruit for gods and ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; however, the emphasis on snāna aligns with tīrtha practice where bathing is foundational before offerings and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is required for adhikāra (eligibility) to perform deva and pitṛ rites; an asnāta person lacks entitlement.