Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दक्षिणं जान्वथालभ्य मन्त्रमेनमुदीरयेत् । आगच्छंतु महाभागा विश्वेदेवा महाबलाः

Transliteration

dakṣiṇaṃ jānvathālabhya mantramenamudīrayet | āgacchaṃtu mahābhāgā viśvedevā mahābalāḥ

Translation

Indem man das rechte Knie berührt, soll man dieses Mantra sprechen: „Mögen die Viśvedevās, die Hochbegünstigten und Mächtigen, herbeikommen.“

Word by Word

• दक्षिणम्: right
• दक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण (जानु)

• जानु: knee
• जानु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रमसूचक

• आलभ्य: having touched/held
• आलभ्य: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय — ‘having touched/laid hold of’

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• एनम्: this (one)
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; सर्वनाम

• उदीरयेत्: should utter/recite
• उदीरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्√ईर्/ईरय् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should utter/recite’

• आगच्छन्तु: let (them) come
• आगच्छन्तु: Kriya (Invocation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — ‘let them come’

• महाभागाः: O greatly fortunate ones
• महाभागाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-भाग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (vocative sense)

• विश्वेदेवाः: the Viśvedevas
• विश्वेदेवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वे-देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; देवगणविशेषः

• महाबलाः: mighty/strong
• महाबलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā-बल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विशेषण (विश्वेदेवाः)

Speaker

Unspecified (manual-style ritual instruction within Śrāddha context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/patron being instructed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha performer touches the right knee and chants; above, the Viśvedevās appear as a radiant assembly of Vedic deities, subtle and luminous, descending to the ritual space; offerings and water vessels gleam.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is performed as a sacred invitation—divine witnesses (Viśvedevās) are invoked with mantra and disciplined gesture.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is a Śrāddha mantra instruction within the Tīrthamāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Touch the right knee and recite an invitation mantra calling the Viśvedevās to be present for the rite.