Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

तथा विनिहता गोभिर्ब्राह्मणैः श्वापदैरपि । एतस्मिन्पठिते श्राद्धे गच्छंति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

tathā vinihatā gobhirbrāhmaṇaiḥ śvāpadairapi | etasminpaṭhite śrāddhe gacchaṃti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

Ebenso gelangen selbst jene, die von Kühen, von Brāhmaṇas oder sogar von wilden Tieren getötet wurden, wenn dies zur Zeit des Śrāddha rezitiert wird, zum höchsten Zustand.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: सम्बन्ध/वाक्यालङ्कार (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘likewise’

• विनिहताः: slain; killed
• विनिहताः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नि-हन् (धातु) → विनिहत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृपद (they who were slain)

• गोभिः: by cows
• गोभिः: करण (Instrument/agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो-शब्दः उभयलिङ्गः; अत्र सामान्यतः स्त्रीलिङ्ग), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणैः: by brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणैः: करण (Instrument/agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• श्वापदैः: by wild beasts
• श्वापदैः: करण (Instrument/agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/वाक्यालङ्कार (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), ‘also/even’

• एतस्मिन्: in this (recitation)
• एतस्मिन्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अस्मिन्’ अर्थे

• पठिते: when (it is) recited
• पठिते: अधिकरणे विशेषण (Qualifier of locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठ् (धातु) → पठित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘एतस्मिन् (माहात्म्ये) पठिते’ = when this is recited

• श्राद्धे: at the śrāddha
• श्राद्धे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गच्छन्ति: go; attain
• गच्छन्ति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गतिम्’ इति विशेषण

• गतिम्: state; destination
• गतिम्: कर्म (Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa), within Sūta’s narration context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgahrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha scene where the recitation radiates light toward three vignettes: a person struck down by a cow, one slain by a brāhmaṇa (symbolic of curse/violence), and one killed by a wild beast; their subtle spirits rise upward toward a luminous 'paramā gati'.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇa
• Go (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha empowered by sacred recitation is portrayed as capable of granting upliftment even in difficult or tragic circumstances of death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is the Nāgahrada/Nāga-tīrtha māhātmya used during śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite this māhātmya as part of śrāddha to support the departed in attaining the highest destination.