Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एते सर्वे समायाता यज्ञवाटे द्विजन्मनः । ते सर्वे सत्कृतास्तेन दक्षेण च दुरात्मना

Transliteration

ete sarve samāyātā yajñavāṭe dvijanmanaḥ | te sarve satkṛtāstena dakṣeṇa ca durātmanā

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! ഇവരെല്ലാവരും യജ്ഞവാടത്തിൽ എത്തിച്ചേർന്നു. ദുഷ്ടമനസ്സനായ ദക്ഷനും അവരെല്ലാവരെയും വിധിപൂർവം സത്കരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एते: these (persons)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Pronoun: these)

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

• समायाताः: arrived/came together
• समायाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु √या) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्रियार्थे ‘आगताः’ (having come/arrived)

• यज्ञ-वाटे: in the sacrificial enclosure
• यज्ञ-वाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + वाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘यज्ञस्य वाटः’ → ‘यज्ञवाटः’

• द्विजन्मनः: of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; ‘द्वे जन्मनी यस्य’ (one having two births)

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

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

• सत्कृताः: were duly honored
• सत्कृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सत् (उपसर्गवत्/अव्ययभाव) + √कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त/क्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (were honored)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (by him)

• दक्षेण: by Dakṣa
• दक्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

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

• दुरात्मना: by the evil-minded one
• दुरात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थ-विशेषणवत् (of evil nature)

Speaker

Lomaśa (addressing a ‘dvijanman’ listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kanakhala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija interlocutor(s) in the frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the sacrificial pavilion, Dakṣa ceremonially welcomes the arriving devas with offerings and seats, while his face and posture subtly convey disdain—an atmosphere of polite ceremony masking impending rupture.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Yajñavāṭa (sacrificial enclosure)
• Devas and Ṛṣis (implied)
• Dvija (addressed listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer courtesy without inner purity is exposed as spiritually hollow—Dakṣa honors guests yet remains ‘durātmā’ (ill-disposed).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse centers on the yajñavāṭa (ritual arena) within the Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative; tīrtha-glorification is indirect via the sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies proper satkāra (honor and reception) of invited participants at a yajña, though no detailed procedure is specified.