Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

वयं बाह्याः कृता देव श्राद्धानां बलविद्विषा । तव श्राद्धे गता यस्माद्गयायां प्राङ्निमंत्रिताः

Transliteration

vayaṃ bāhyāḥ kṛtā deva śrāddhānāṃ balavidviṣā | tava śrāddhe gatā yasmādgayāyāṃ prāṅnimaṃtritāḥ

Translation

Ô Seigneur, l’ennemi de Bala (Indra) nous a exclus des rites de śrāddha. Car nous étions allés à ton śrāddha à Gayā, conviés à l’avance.

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Nom. Pl.

• बाह्याः: excluded; left out
• बाह्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier of वयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masc. Nom. Pl.; ‘excluded/outside’

• कृताः: were made
• कृताः: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Past participle, Masc. Nom. Pl.; कर्मणि भावः ‘made (to be)’

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन = Voc. Sg.

• श्राद्धानाम्: of the śrāddhas
• श्राद्धानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन = Neuter, Gen. Pl.

• बलविद्विषा: by the enemy of Bala (i.e., Indra)
• बलविद्विषा: Karana (Agent/Doer in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala-vidviṣ (प्रातिपदिक: bala + vidviṣ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बलस्य विद्विट् = ‘enemy of Bala’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = Masc. Instr. Sg.

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन = Gen. Sg. (‘your’)

• श्राद्धे: in (your) śrāddha
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन = Neuter, Loc. Sg.

• गताः: went; having gone
• गताः: Kriya (Action/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Past participle, Masc. Nom. Pl.

• यस्मात्: since; because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-शब्द; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे = Abl. Sg. used as ‘since/because’

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = Fem. Loc. Sg.

• प्राक्: previously; beforehand
• प्राक्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = adverb ‘previously/before’

• निमन्त्रिताः: invited
• निमन्त्रिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier of वयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-√mantr (धातु) → nimantrita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Past participle, Masc. Nom. Pl.; ‘invited’

Speaker

Viśvedevāḥ (addressing Brahmā, ‘Deva’/Pitāmaha, per previous verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (overall frame) and Brahmā (within embedded speech)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before Brahmā, the Viśvedevās explain their grievance: Indra has cast them out from śrāddhas though they had been invited to Brahmā’s Gayā śrāddha; their faces show wounded dignity and sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevāḥ
• Indra (Balavidviṣ)
• Bala
• Gayā
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is bound to sacred protocol and invitations; violating ordained participation is portrayed as an offense against dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly referenced, famed as a principal pitṛ-tīrtha for śrāddha and ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights the importance of proper nimantraṇa (invitation) and rightful inclusion of śrāddha-deities such as the Viśvedevās.