Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सांप्रतं कथयाऽस्माकं मन्त्रपूर्वश्च यो विधिः । गृहस्थेन सदा कार्यः पितॄणां परितुष्टये

Transliteration

sāṃprataṃ kathayā'smākaṃ mantrapūrvaśca yo vidhiḥ | gṛhasthena sadā kāryaḥ pitṝṇāṃ parituṣṭaye

Translation

„Nun, bitte sage uns das Verfahren, das mit Mantras zu vollziehen ist—jenes, das ein Hausherr stets ausführen soll—zur vollkommenen Zufriedenheit der Pitṛs (Ahnen).“

Word by Word

• सांप्रतम्: now, at present
• सांप्रतम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘अधुना/इदानीम्’

• कथय: tell, explain
• कथय: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• अस्माकम्: of us, to us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन (plural), सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मन्त्रपूर्वः: preceded by mantra
• मन्त्रपूर्वः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मन्त्रः पूर्वं यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• यः: which, that (who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• विधिः: procedure, rule
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृहस्थेन: by a householder
• गृहस्थेन: Kartr̥-karaṇa/Agent-instrument (Doer/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• कार्यः: to be done, obligatory
• कार्यः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicative adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृत्प्रत्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत्कर्तव्यतार्थक (gerundive/तव्यत्-भाव), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कर्तव्यः’

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

• परितुष्टये: for satisfaction
• परितुष्टये: Sampradāna (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परितुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Ānartā (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (outer frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ānartā requests a mantra-based, always-to-be-done household procedure; the sage is shown preparing to enumerate steps, with kuśa, tila, water pot, and a manuscript of mantras.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhastha
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder life is sanctified through regular ancestral rites performed with mantra and right method, expressing gratitude and sustaining dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative frame in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, though the verse focuses on rite-method rather than site description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mantrapūrva (mantra-accompanied) Śrāddha-vidhi to be performed by a gṛhastha for the satisfaction of the Pitṛs.