Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ततः स्नात्वाह्वयामास श्राद्धार्थं श्रद्धयान्वितः । विश्वेदेवान्पितॄंश्चैव काले कुतपसंज्ञिते

Transliteration

tataḥ snātvāhvayāmāsa śrāddhārthaṃ śraddhayānvitaḥ | viśvedevānpitṝṃścaiva kāle kutapasaṃjñite

Translation

ನಂತರ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿ, ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯಿಂದ ಯುಕ್ತನಾಗಿ, ಶ್ರಾದ್ಧಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಕುತಪಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶ್ವೇದೇವರು ಮತ್ತು ಪಿತೃಗಳನ್ನು ಆವಾಹನ ಮಾಡಿದನು.

Word by Word

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (absolutive)

• आह्वयामास: invoked / called
• आह्वयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्राद्धार्थम्: for the śrāddha
• श्राद्धार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भावे

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वि-इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (युक्तः)

• विश्वेदेवान्: the Viśvedevas
• विश्वेदेवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वे + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• पितॄन्: the Pitṛs (ancestors)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; काले अधिकरणे

• कुतपसंज्ञिते: called ‘Kutapa’
• कुतपसंज्ञिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुतप + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (कुतप-इति संज्ञा यस्य)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual narrator in Tīrtha-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā (Kutapa-kāla śrāddha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After bathing at the tīrtha, the performer sits on darbha, facing south, hands in añjali, invoking Viśvedevas and Pitṛs precisely at Kutapa-kāla; ritual vessels with tilā and water are arranged.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevas
• Pitṛs
• Kutapa (time)
• Śrāddha
• Snāna (bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity (snāna) and inner faith (śraddhā) together make śrāddha fruitful and dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā’s tīrtha-setting is implied, with emphasis on performing śrāddha there at the proper ritual time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe first, then formally invoke Viśvedevas and Pitṛs for śrāddha during Kutapa-kāla.