Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एवं पितॄन्समाहूय तथा मातामहानथ । संमंत्रिताश्च ते विप्राः संयमात्मान एव ते

Transliteration

evaṃ pitṝnsamāhūya tathā mātāmahānatha | saṃmaṃtritāśca te viprāḥ saṃyamātmāna eva te

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പിതൃകളെയും മാതാമഹന്മാരെയും കൂടി ആഹ്വാനിച്ച്, ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണർ മന്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ക്ഷണിക്കപ്പെട്ടു—സംയമചിത്തരും ശാസനാനുസാരികളും ആയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus’)

• पितॄन्: ancestors/fathers
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वकाले क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√ह्वे/√हू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having called/summoned’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘likewise/also’

• मातामहान्: maternal grandfathers
• मातामहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Anukrama (Sequencing/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: ‘then/now’)

• संमंत्रिताः: consulted/invited
• संमंत्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (having been consulted/invited)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ते: those/they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• संयमात्मानः: self-controlled
• संयमात्मानः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; संयम + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (संयतः आत्मा येषाम्/संयमयुक्तात्मानः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet household courtyard prepared for śrāddha: brāhmaṇas seated on kuśa mats, the yajamāna with añjali, invoking Pitṛs and maternal grandfathers with mantras; ritual vessels and darbha arranged neatly.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Mātāmahas (maternal ancestors)
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma honors both paternal and maternal lineages, and the rite requires mantra-sanctified, self-controlled participants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader section is a tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse does not specify a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invoke both Pitṛs and maternal ancestors; ensure the invited Brāhmaṇas are properly mantra-invoked and restrained (saṃyama).