Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

मंत्रिभिः सह संभूय प्रेतकार्यं न्यवर्तयत् । मृतं ज्ञात्वा पतिं राज्ञी सहैवानुममार च

Transliteration

maṃtribhiḥ saha saṃbhūya pretakāryaṃ nyavartayat | mṛtaṃ jñātvā patiṃ rājñī sahaivānumamāra ca

Translation

S’étant assemblé avec les ministres, il accomplit selon le rite les cérémonies pour le défunt. La reine, apprenant la mort de son époux, le suivit elle aussi dans la mort.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रिभिः: with ministers
• मन्त्रिभिः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition-like: with)

• सम्भूय: having assembled
• सम्भूय: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: भू, उपसर्ग: सम्; अर्थ: समागत्य (having assembled)

• प्रेतकार्यं: funeral rites
• प्रेतकार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य कार्यम्)

• न्यवर्तयत्: performed/completed
• न्यवर्तयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अव-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि + अव; अर्थ: निर्वर्तयामास (carried out)

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: मृत (dead)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: ज्ञा (to know)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (with)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis: indeed/just)

• अनुममार: followed (him) in death
• अनुममार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अनु; अर्थ: अनुगमनरूपेण ममार (followed in death)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Brahmakhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The prince and ministers assemble to complete the departed rites; nearby, the queen, upon hearing of her husband’s death, resolves to follow him in death, intensifying the solemnity.

Characters & Entities

• Ministers (mantrins)
• Queen (rājñī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires honoring the departed through proper rites; life’s impermanence urges timely performance of prescribed duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it discusses funerary duty rather than a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pretakārya—obligatory rites for the deceased (funeral/after-death duties) are explicitly referenced.