Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

स्वाहाकारस्तनं देवाः पितरश्च स्वधामयम् । मुनयश्च वषट्कारं देवभूतसुरेश्वराः

Transliteration

svāhākārastanaṃ devāḥ pitaraśca svadhāmayam | munayaśca vaṣaṭkāraṃ devabhūtasureśvarāḥ

Translation

The gods drink from the teat of “svāhā”; the ancestors (pitṛs) from that formed of “svadhā”; and the sages (munis) from the “vaṣaṭ” teat—thus do divine beings, spirits, and lordly powers draw their nourishment from her.

Word by Word

• स्वाहाकारस्तनम्: the ‘svāhā-kāra’ breast
• स्वाहाकारस्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहाकार (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वधामयम्: consisting of svadhā
• स्वधामयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); -मय (made of/consisting of)

• मुनयः: the sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वषट्कारम्: the ‘vaṣaṭ-kāra’ (breast)
• वषट्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वषट्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवभूतसुरेश्वराः: the lords of gods, beings, and suras
• देवभूतसुरेश्वराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (समाहार/विशेषण-समास)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three streams of luminous ‘milk’ from a sacred cow’s teats: one rising to devas in the sky (svāhā), one flowing to pitṛs in a twilight realm (svadhā), one to seated sages with manuscripts and kuśa (vaṣaṭ).

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Munis
• Svāhā
• Svadhā
• Vaṣaṭ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings sustain cosmic relationships: devas, pitṛs, and sages are honored through the proper sacrificial calls and duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily ritual-theological; it sits within Dharmāraṇya’s dharma discourse rather than naming a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of svāhā for deva-offerings, svadhā for pitṛ-offerings, and vaṣaṭ in Vedic sacrificial procedure.