Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

स्थानेषु निक्षिपेत्प्राज्ञो नाम्ना तूदिश्य देवताः । एवं बलिं गृहे दत्त्वा गृहे गृहपतिः शुचिः

Transliteration

sthāneṣu nikṣipetprājño nāmnā tūdiśya devatāḥ | evaṃ baliṃ gṛhe dattvā gṛhe gṛhapatiḥ śuciḥ

Translation

പ്രാജ്ഞൻ ദേവതകളെ നാമോച്ചാരണം ചെയ്ത് യഥാസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിൽ ബലി നിക്ഷേപിക്കണം. ഇങ്ങനെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ ബലി നൽകിയാൽ ഗൃഹപതി തന്റെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ ശുചിയായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्थानेषु: in the places/locations
• स्थानेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• निक्षिपेत्: should place/put down
• निक्षिपेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्राज्ञः: the wise man
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• उदिश्य: having addressed/mentioning
• उदिश्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘उद्दिश्य’ = having addressed/indicated

• देवताः: the deities
• देवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• बलिम्: offering (bali)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘दत्त्वा’ = having given

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गृहपतिः: the householder/master of the house
• गृहपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गृहस्य पतिः)

• शुचिः: pure/clean
• शुचिः: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘गृहपतिः’)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa instructional discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean household interior: the gṛhapati places small portions of food (bali) at specific spots while softly invoking deities by name; lamps glow, a water pot and ladle nearby; the atmosphere is orderly and reverent.

Characters & Entities

• Devatā
• Gṛha (home)
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A home becomes a sacred precinct when offerings are made with knowledge—placing them correctly and invoking the divine with clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the ‘gṛha’ itself is treated as a ritual space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Placing bali in designated locations while naming/invoking the corresponding deities.