Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

एते पूर्वं मया शक्र श्राद्धार्थं विनिमंत्रिताः । पश्चात्त्वया न दोषोऽस्ति तस्माच्चैषां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

ete pūrvaṃ mayā śakra śrāddhārthaṃ vinimaṃtritāḥ | paścāttvayā na doṣo'sti tasmāccaiṣāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

“O Śakra, these were first invited by me for the sake of the Śrāddha. Afterwards, there is no fault on your part; therefore, regarding these great-souled ones…”

Word by Word

• ete: these (persons)
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• pūrvam: previously
• pūrvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrvam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: earlier/before)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• śakra: O Śakra (Indra)
• śakra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• śrāddha-artham: for the purpose of śrāddha
• śrāddha-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चतुर्थी/प्रयोजन: श्राद्धस्य अर्थः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक

• vinimantritāḥ: were invited
• vinimantritāḥ: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ni-√mantr (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्तृवाच्य-सम्बन्ध

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: afterwards/later)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध अव्यय (negation particle)

• doṣaḥ: fault, blame
• doṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asti: is, exists
• asti: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभूत/निपातवत् (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय अव्यय (and)

• eṣām: of these
• eṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• mahātmanām: of the great-souled ones
• mahātmanām: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् आत्मा), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn assembly where a senior figure addresses Śakra (Indra), indicating that certain great-souled beings were first invited for śrāddha; gestures of reassurance and juridical clarity about fault.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• Viśvedevas (implied)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma considers sequence and intent; responsibility is assigned fairly, and correction follows proper ritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it addresses Śrāddha protocol rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper invitation (vinimantraṇa) of the required deities for Śrāddha, and attention to the correct order of rites.