Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 154

Devanagari script

मूर्ताश्चतुर्णां वर्णानां पितरः सप्तधा स्मृताः । ते हि सर्वे प्रयच्छंति दातुं सर्वं यतोप्सितम्

Transliteration

mūrtāścaturṇāṃ varṇānāṃ pitaraḥ saptadhā smṛtāḥ | te hi sarve prayacchaṃti dātuṃ sarvaṃ yatopsitam

Translation

Pour les quatre varṇa, les Pitṛs sont tenus pour incarnés et répartis en sept catégories. En vérité, tous peuvent accorder tout ce qui est désiré.

Word by Word

• मूर्ताः: embodied
• मूर्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्त (कृदन्त; √मूर्च्/√मूर्त्?; रूढ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• चतुर्णाम्: of the four
• चतुर्णाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग)

• वर्णानाम्: of the varṇas (classes)
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पितरः: the Pitṛs
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सप्तधा: sevenfold
• सप्तधा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्तधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; distributive)

• स्मृताः: are said/considered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त; √स्मृ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (are said/remembered)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; emphasis)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रयच्छन्ति: grant
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), परस्मैपद-धातु

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उप्सितम्: desired
• उप्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप्सित (कृदन्त; √वप्स्/√आप्?; रूढ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mahākāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic yet sacred depiction: four varṇas represented by archetypal figures, with seven pitṛ groups shown as attendant ancestral forms; offerings flow upward as light, symbolizing the granting of desired fruits.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Varṇa (four)
• Sevenfold division (saptadhā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma presents structured hierarchies of Pitṛs; when duly satisfied, they function as channels of blessing for desired aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: proper Śrāddha directed to the appropriate Pitṛ order yields the intended results.