Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तदभावे गृहस्थांश्च । ब्रह्मज्ञानपरायणान् अग्निहोत्रपरान्विप्रान्वेदविद्याविचक्षणान्

Transliteration

tadabhāve gṛhasthāṃśca | brahmajñānaparāyaṇān agnihotraparānviprānvedavidyāvicakṣaṇān

Translation

അവർ ലഭ്യമല്ലെങ്കിൽ ബ്രഹ്മജ്ഞാനപരായണരായ ഗൃഹസ്ഥരെ—അഗ്നിഹോത്രത്തിൽ നിഷ്ഠയുള്ള, വേദവിദ്യയിൽ പ്രാവീണ്യമുള്ള വിപ്രരെ—ക്ഷണിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• तदभावे: in their absence
• तदभावे: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘तस्य अभावः’ = in their absence

• गृहस्थान्: householders
• गृहस्थान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मज्ञानपरायणान्: devoted to knowledge of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञानपरायणान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-ज्ञान-परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘ब्रह्मज्ञानं परायणं येषां ते’ = devoted to knowledge of Brahman; ‘गृहस्थान्/विप्रान्’ इत्यादीनां विशेषणम्

• अग्निहोत्रपरान्: devoted to the agnihotra rite
• अग्निहोत्रपरान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निहोत्र-पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘अग्निहोत्रे परः’ = devoted to agnihotra

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वेदविद्याविचक्षणान्: skilled in Vedic learning
• वेदविद्याविचक्षणान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-विद्या-विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘वेदविद्यायां विचक्षणः’ = skilled in Vedic learning

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna respectfully invites learned household brāhmaṇas—one tending a small sacred fire, another holding Vedic manuscripts—signaling agnihotra and brahma-jñāna devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhasthas
• Brāhmaṇas
• Agnihotra
• Vedic learning

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worthiness for receiving ritual honor is measured by spiritual orientation—Vedic discipline, Agnihotra, and Brahman-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; this is a general rule for selecting qualified invitees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

When higher-preference invitees are absent, invite qualified gṛhastha brāhmaṇas devoted to Agnihotra and Vedic learning.