Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं समाचरेत्पश्चाल्लोकपालानुरूपिभिः । कृत्वाग्रे लोकपालांस्तु प्रतिष्ठाप्य यथाविधि

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ samācaretpaścāllokapālānurūpibhiḥ | kṛtvāgre lokapālāṃstu pratiṣṭhāpya yathāvidhi

Translation

അതിന് ശേഷം ലോകപാലന്മാർക്ക് അനുയോജ്യമായ വിധിയിൽ ശ്രാദ്ധം ആചരിക്കണം. ആദ്യം ശാസ്ത്രവിധിപ്രകാരം മുന്നിൽ ലോകപാലന്മാരെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച്।

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; object sense (कर्म)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• लोकपाल-अनुरूपिभिः: with (things/persons) appropriate to the lokapālas
• लोकपाल-अनुरूपिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘लोकपालानुरूपिन्’ = लोकपालानां अनुरूपः (in accordance with the lokapālas)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अग्रे: in front; beforehand
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative used adverbially)

• लोकपालान्: the lokapālas (guardians of the worlds)
• लोकपालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed/established
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति+स्था (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund) रूप; ‘स्थापयित्वा’ अर्थे

• यथा-विधि: according to the prescribed rule
• यथा-विधि: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (ritual manual style instruction within Revākhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (general Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank altar, the performer arranges seats/kalashas for the Lokapālas in the front (directionally), preparing to begin śrāddha with strict ritual order.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order matters: cosmic guardianship (Lokapālas) is acknowledged before completing ancestral offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Revākhaṇḍa’s river-tīrtha framework (Revā/Narmadā region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Install/establish the Lokapālas first (pratiṣṭhā), then perform śrāddha accordingly.