Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

सर्वे पूर्वामुखाः स्थाप्या युग्माश्च शक्तितो नृप । पितरो मातृपक्षीयाः स्थाप्याश्चोदङ्मुखास्तथा

Transliteration

sarve pūrvāmukhāḥ sthāpyā yugmāśca śaktito nṛpa | pitaro mātṛpakṣīyāḥ sthāpyāścodaṅmukhāstathā

Translation

Ô Roi, tout emplacement (pour l’invocation et l’offrande) doit être disposé face à l’est, et par paires selon ses moyens. Mais les Pitṛs de la lignée maternelle doivent, eux aussi, être placés face au nord.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• पूर्वामुखाः: east-facing
• पूर्वामुखाः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘पूर्व-मुख’ = facing east

• स्थाप्याः: should be placed
• स्थाप्याः: Vidhi (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘to be placed’

• युग्माः: in pairs
• युग्माः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (agreeing with implied ‘पितरः/स्थाप्याः’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• शक्तितः: according to one’s ability
• शक्तितः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘according to ability’

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• मातृपक्षीयाः: of the maternal line
• मातृपक्षीयाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of पितरः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्षीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘मातृ-पक्षीय’ = belonging to the mother’s side

• स्थाप्याः: should be placed
• स्थाप्याः: Vidhi (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• उदङ्मुखाः: north-facing
• उदङ्मुखाः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदङ् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘उदङ्-मुख’ = north-facing

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक (likewise)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional discourse to a royal listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual diagram-like scene: east is marked by rising sun; north by a subtle polar/star motif; paired seats/offerings are laid out; the king watches as the officiant indicates the north-facing placement for maternal ancestors.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• mātṛpakṣa (maternal lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to ancestors becomes spiritually effective when performed with correct dharmic order and intention, according to one’s capacity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the snippet itself emphasizes ritual procedure rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arrange the ritual seats/offerings facing east in pairs; for the maternal-line Pitṛs, arrange them facing north.