Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

दिव्याः पितृगणाः प्राप्ता विधेः सदनमुत्तमम् । नांदीमुखान्पुरस्कृत्य पितॄन्यांस्तर्पयेद्विधिः

Transliteration

divyāḥ pitṛgaṇāḥ prāptā vidheḥ sadanamuttamam | nāṃdīmukhānpuraskṛtya pitṝnyāṃstarpayedvidhiḥ

Translation

ദിവ്യ പിതൃഗണങ്ങൾ വിധാതാവിന്റെ (ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ) ഉത്തമ സദനത്തിലെത്തി. നാന്ദീമുഖ പിതൃങ്ങളെ മുൻപിൽ നിർത്തി, വിധാതാവ് മറ്റു പിതൃകൾക്ക് തർപ്പണം അർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• दिव्याः: divine
• दिव्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; पितृगणानां विशेषणम्

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

• प्राप्ताः: arrived
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘arrived’

• विधेः: of Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of Vidhi (Brahmā)’

• सदनम्: abode, house
• सदनम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सदनस्य विशेषणम्

• नांदीमुखान्: the Nāndīmukha (Pitṛs)
• नांदीमुखान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दीमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेष-पितृवर्गः (a class of Pitṛs called Nāndīmukhas)

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed first
• पुरस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस् + कृ (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having placed in front / having honored first’

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

• यान्: whom
• यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative)

• तर्पयेत्: should satisfy (with offerings)
• तर्पयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in ritual usage ‘satisfy/offer libations’

• विधिः: Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृपद—विधिः (Brahmā)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vidhisadana (Brahmaloka)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā in his splendid hall offers tarpaṇa; Nāndīmukha pitṛs stand in front, other pitṛs behind in ordered ranks, receiving libations of water and sesame.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛgaṇa
• Brahmā (Vidhī)
• Nāndīmukha Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest cosmic authority models correct ritual order—honoring specific classes of ancestors first and then the rest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is set in Brahmā’s abode (a cosmic locale) rather than a named earthly tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa procedure: place the Nāndīmukha Pitṛs first (puraskṛtya) and then satisfy the other ancestors.