Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ये समानेति मन्त्राभ्यां न स्यात्प्रेतस्ततः परम् । अवनेजनं ततः कृत्वा पितृपूर्वं यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

ye samāneti mantrābhyāṃ na syātpretastataḥ param | avanejanaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā pitṛpūrvaṃ yathākramam

Translation

Durch die beiden Mantras, die mit „ye samāne…“ beginnen, gilt er danach nicht mehr als preta. Sodann, nachdem die Waschung und Reinigung vollzogen ist, fahre man der Reihe nach fort, beginnend zuerst mit den Pitṛ (Ahnenvätern).

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समानेति: brings/recites ‘samāneti’ (mantra)
• समानेति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-nī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); उपसर्ग: सम्+आ

• मन्त्राभ्याम्: with (two) mantras
• मन्त्राभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन (Dual)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रेतः: the departed spirit (preta)
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमवाचक (thereafter/from that)

• परम्: further/afterwards
• परम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• अवनेजनम्: washing/ablution
• अवनेजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avanejana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• पितृपूर्वम्: beginning with the fathers (ancestors)
• पितृपूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pitṛ + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पितॄणां पूर्वम्), अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial)

• यथाक्रमम्: in due order
• यथाक्रमम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/royal listener (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The performer recites mantras with joined hands over offerings; a subtle visual shift from a solitary preta-offering space to a threefold pitr̥ arrangement; then washing/cleansing with water (avanejana).

Characters & Entities

• preta
• pitṛ
• mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra and orderly ritual action are presented as transforming the departed’s status and restoring sacred continuity with the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha framework is present via the chapter context, but no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the two “ye samāne…” mantras, then perform avanejana (ritual washing/cleansing) and continue in sequence with the pitṛs first.