Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एवं पितॄन्समाहूय तथा मातामहानथ । संमंत्रिताश्च ते विप्राः संयमात्मान एव ते

Transliteration

evaṃ pitṝnsamāhūya tathā mātāmahānatha | saṃmaṃtritāśca te viprāḥ saṃyamātmāna eva te

Translation

So werden, nachdem die Pitṛs (Ahnen) und auch die Großväter mütterlicherseits angerufen wurden, jene Brāhmaṇas durch Mantras ordnungsgemäß eingeladen—selbstbeherrscht und wahrhaft diszipliniert.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus’)

• पितॄन्: ancestors/fathers
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वकाले क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√ह्वे/√हू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having called/summoned’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘likewise/also’

• मातामहान्: maternal grandfathers
• मातामहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Anukrama (Sequencing/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: ‘then/now’)

• संमंत्रिताः: consulted/invited
• संमंत्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (having been consulted/invited)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ते: those/they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• संयमात्मानः: self-controlled
• संयमात्मानः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; संयम + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (संयतः आत्मा येषाम्/संयमयुक्तात्मानः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Mātāmahas (maternal ancestors)
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma honors both paternal and maternal lineages, and the rite requires mantra-sanctified, self-controlled participants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader section is a tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse does not specify a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invoke both Pitṛs and maternal ancestors; ensure the invited Brāhmaṇas are properly mantra-invoked and restrained (saṃyama).