Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

एतेऽस्माकं प्रदास्यंति कव्यं यन्निजवंशजैः । प्रदत्तं तेन संप्राप्ता वयं देव त्वदन्तिकम्

Transliteration

ete'smākaṃ pradāsyaṃti kavyaṃ yannijavaṃśajaiḥ | pradattaṃ tena saṃprāptā vayaṃ deva tvadantikam

Translation

ഇവർ തങ്ങളുടെ വംശജർ അർപ്പിക്കുന്ന കാവ്യം ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് നൽകും; ആ ദാനത്തിന്റെ കാരണത്താൽ, ഹേ ദേവാ, ഞങ്ങൾ നിന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ എത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एते: these (people)
• एते: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• अस्माकम्: for us / of us
• अस्माकम्: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/beneficiary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• प्रदास्यन्ति: will give
• प्रदास्यन्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• कव्यं: funeral offering
• कव्यं: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular)

• यत्: which
• यत्: कर्म (Relative pronoun referring to kavya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular)

• निजवंशजैः: by their own descendants
• निजवंशजैः: कर्ता/करण (Agent in passive sense / means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज-वंशज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural); समासः: निजः वंशः तस्मात् जाताः (born of one's own lineage)

• प्रदत्तम्: given
• प्रदत्तम्: क्रिया-विशेषण (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'given'

• तेन: thereby / therefore
• तेन: हेतु/करण (Cause/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental singular): 'by that/therefore'

• संप्राप्ताः: have arrived
• संप्राप्ताः: क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'having reached/arrived'

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• देव: O god
• देव: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• त्वदन्तिकम्: to your presence
• त्वदन्तिकम्: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य (Goal of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद्-अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: त्वद् (युष्मद्-षष्ठी) + अन्तिकम् (near you)

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pitṛs indicate living descendants who will offer kavya; the Pitṛs, strengthened by that gift, arrive at the deity’s threshold—suggesting a subtle, luminous pathway from ritual to divine court.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• vaṃśa (lineage)
• kavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral welfare is tied to lineage-duty: offerings made by one’s own descendants are central to pitṛ uplift and continuity of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the emphasis is on the pitṛ-rite mechanism often performed at tīrthas for enhanced efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kavya offered by descendants (nija-vaṃśaja) is highlighted as the proper channel for pitṛ satisfaction.