Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भक्त्या दृष्टा महाराज सहस्राक्षेण पूजिताः । तथान्यैर्विबुधैः सर्वैः प्रस्थिताः स्वे निकेतने

Transliteration

bhaktyā dṛṣṭā mahārāja sahasrākṣeṇa pūjitāḥ | tathānyairvibudhaiḥ sarvaiḥ prasthitāḥ sve niketane

Translation

Ô grand roi, ils furent contemplés avec dévotion et adorés par Sahasrākṣa (Indra). De même, honorés par tous les autres dieux, ils partirent vers leur propre demeure.

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दृष्टाः: seen
• दृष्टाः: Karta (Predicate adjective of पितरः understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त; √दृश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास, पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सहस्राक्षेण: by the thousand-eyed (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षेण: Kartr/Agent (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘सहस्रम् अक्षी यस्य’ = Indra), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूजिताः: honoured/worshipped
• पूजिताः: Karta (Predicate adjective of Pitṛs)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजित (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अन्यैः: by other
• अन्यैः: Kartr/Agent (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• विबुधैः: by the gods/wise beings
• विबुधैः: Kartr/Agent (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (to विबुधैः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रस्थिताः: departed/set out
• प्रस्थिताः: Karta (Predicate adjective of Pitṛs)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रस्थित (कृदन्त; प्र-√स्था (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘having set out’), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्वे: in their own
• स्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निकेतने: abode
• निकेतने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (Purāṇic dialogue context; likely a sage/narrator addressing a king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Sahasrākṣa) offers respectful worship to assembled pitṛs; other devas join; then the pitṛs depart in a calm, orderly procession toward their own realm.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• Devas (Vibudhas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If even Indra venerates the Pitṛs, human beings should all the more uphold reverence through śrāddha and remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it depicts worship (pūjā) of Pitṛs by divine beings, reinforcing the practice’s legitimacy.