Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

आवाहनं प्रकर्तव्यं विभक्त्या च द्वितीयया । येनागच्छंति ते सर्वे समाहूताः पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

āvāhanaṃ prakartavyaṃ vibhaktyā ca dvitīyayā | yenāgacchaṃti te sarve samāhūtāḥ pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

L’invocation (āvāhana) doit être accomplie au moyen de la deuxième désinence (accusatif) ; ainsi, tous—appelés chacun distinctement—viennent réellement.

Word by Word

• आवाहनम्: invocation
• आवाहनम्: Karta (Topic/कर्ता-स्थानी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ + वह् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) / आवाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (action noun)

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: should be done
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) 'कर्तव्यम्' = to be done

• विभक्त्या: by (a) case-ending
• विभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• द्वितीयया: by the second case (accusative)
• द्वितीयया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'द्वितीया' इति विभक्तिनाम

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• आगच्छन्ति: they come
• आगच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते)

• समाहूताः: having been invoked/called
• समाहूताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + हु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual teacher instructs a king/prince: palm-leaf or manuscript open, pointing to mantra words; in the foreground, a śrāddha altar with offerings; subtle depiction of pitṛs arriving in response to correctly formed invocation.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• dvitīyā-vibhakti (accusative)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right invocation aligns speech with sacred intent; proper calling is taught as the doorway for ancestral presence and blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the verse itself focuses on mantra-form rather than a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform āvāhana using the accusative (dvitīyā) form so the invited Pitṛs are said to arrive, each distinctly.