Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

नक्तंचरेभ्यो भूतेभ्यो बलिमाकाशतो हरेत् । पितॄणां निर्वपेत्तद्वद्दक्षिणाभिमुखस्ततः

Transliteration

naktaṃcarebhyo bhūtebhyo balimākāśato haret | pitṝṇāṃ nirvapettadvaddakṣiṇābhimukhastataḥ

Translation

Depuis un lieu élevé, qu’il jette le bali vers les êtres qui errent la nuit ; et de même, tourné vers le sud, qu’il dépose l’offrande destinée aux ancêtres.

Word by Word

• नक्तंचरेभ्यः: to the night-wanderers (nocturnal beings)
• नक्तंचरेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्तं + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (नक्तं चरन्ति ये); English: dative plural

• भूतेभ्यः: to beings
• भूतेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी (4th/5th), बहुवचन; English: dat./abl. plural

• बलिम्: an offering (bali)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; English: accusative singular

• आकाशतः: from the open space (upwards)
• आकाशतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; English: ablative singular 'from the sky/open space'

• हरेत्: should offer (cast)
• हरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: optative 3rd sg 'should offer/carry away'

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; English: genitive plural

• निर्वपेत्: should offer/scatter
• निर्वपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + √वप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: optative 3rd sg 'should scatter/offer'

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः, तुल्यार्थक; English: 'likewise, in the same way'

• दक्षिणाभिमुखः: facing south
• दक्षिणाभिमुखः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण + अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणां दिशं अभिमुखः); English: nominative singular 'facing south'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence marker/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक; English: 'then'

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa instructional discourse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Householder/practitioner

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Evening or twilight courtyard: devotee stands on a small platform/threshold casting bali outward into the open for night-roaming beings; then turns south, kneels, and places a neat offering for pitṛs near a designated spot, with a lamp glowing softly.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūta (beings)
• Pitṛ
• Dakṣiṇa (south)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A householder’s dharma includes care even for unseen beings and reverence for the ancestors, performed with ritual mindfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised; the focus is on daily rite and cosmic reciprocity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering bali for nocturnal beings (cast into open space) and making pitṛ-offerings while facing south.