Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

अग्निष्वात्ताः पितृगणास्तथा बर्हिषदश्च ये । तत्र संनिहिता नित्यमाज्यपाः सोमपास्तथा

Transliteration

agniṣvāttāḥ pitṛgaṇāstathā barhiṣadaśca ye | tatra saṃnihitā nityamājyapāḥ somapāstathā

Translation

അഗ്നിഷ്വാത്തർ എന്ന പിതൃഗണങ്ങളും ബർഹിഷദ് പിതാക്കളും; കൂടാതെ ആജ്യപരും സോമപരും—അവർ എല്ലാവരും അവിടെ നിത്യമായി സന്നിഹിതരായിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अग्निष्वात्ताः: the Agniṣvātta Pitṛs
• अग्निष्वात्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्वात्त (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि+स्वात्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; पितृविशेष-नाम (a class of Pitṛs)

• पितृगणाः: groups of ancestors (Pitṛs)
• पितृगणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृगण (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ+गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/रीतिवाचक (conjunctive/adverb: 'also/likewise')

• बर्हिषदः: the Barhiṣad Pitṛs
• बर्हिषदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्हिषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; पितृविशेष-नाम

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

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb 'there')

• संनिहिताः: present; assembled
• संनिहिताः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (धातु) → संनिहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; 'स्थित/उपस्थित'

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय; नित्य-शब्दात्)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb 'always')

• आज्यपाः: ghee-drinkers (a class of Pitṛs)
• आज्यपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्यप (प्रातिपदिक; आज्य+पा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; 'आज्यं पिबन्ति' इति

• सोमपाः: Soma-drinkers
• सोमपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमप (प्रातिपदिक; सोम+पा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; 'सोमं पिबन्ति' इति

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/रीतिवाचक (adverb 'also')

Speaker

Sūta (doctrinal/mahatmya assertion)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitṛkūpikā (implied)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An unseen, sanctified landscape around a sacred well/tīrtha, with subtle, luminous presences of ancestral beings—Agniṣvāttas, Barhiṣads, Ājyapas, Somapas—hovering as if receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣvātta Pitṛs
• Barhiṣad Pitṛs
• Ājyapa Pitṛs
• Somapa Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true pitṛ-tīrtha is defined by divine presence: the ancestral hosts are said to abide there, making offerings especially effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same pitṛ-focused tīrtha (Kṛtaghna-preta-tīrtha / kūpikā site) where pitṛ-gaṇas are declared perpetually present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

While not a step-by-step rule, the verse provides the theological basis for śrāddha there: pitṛ hosts (Agniṣvātta, Barhiṣad, etc.) are continually in attendance.