Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

निमन्त्रितास्तु राजेन्द्र केशवेन महात्मना । श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथान्यायं ब्रह्मोक्तविधिना ततः

Transliteration

nimantritāstu rājendra keśavena mahātmanā | śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā yathānyāyaṃ brahmoktavidhinā tataḥ

Translation

Invités par le magnanime Keśava, ô roi, ils accomplirent ensuite le śrāddha selon la règle, suivant le rite enseigné par Brahmā.

Word by Word

• निमन्त्रिताः: (they were) invited
• निमन्त्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘invited’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

• केशवेन: by Keśava
• केशवेन: Karana/Agent-in-instrumental (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• श्राद्धम्: the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having done/performed’

• यथा-न्यायम्: according to rule
• यथा-न्यायम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, अव्यय; अर्थः ‘न्यायानुसारम्’

• ब्रह्मोक्त-विधिना: by the procedure stated by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मोक्त-विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त, √वच् धातु) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (ब्रह्मणा उक्तः विधिः तेन)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरार्थ (thereafter)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Keśava (a royal/divine patron figure) invites venerable sages; a śrāddha setting is arranged with kuśa grass, water vessels, piṇḍa offerings, and seated brāhmaṇas; the rite proceeds in orderly steps as per Brahmā’s injunctions.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• Brahmā
• Śrāddha
• King (listener, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites for ancestors and tradition should be done with proper invitation, correct method, and respect for scriptural injunction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā setting, where śrāddha performed with due vidhi is portrayed as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha performed yathā-nyāya, following brahmokta-vidhi (Brahmā-taught procedure).