Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

श्राद्धार्थं संपरिज्ञाय मन्त्रं चक्रुः परस्परम् । आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा नासत्यावपि पार्थिव

Transliteration

śrāddhārthaṃ saṃparijñāya mantraṃ cakruḥ parasparam | ādityā vasavo rudrā nāsatyāvapi pārthiva

Translation

ഹേ പാർത്ഥിവാ! ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിന്റെ ഉദ്ദേശ്യം സമ്യക് ഗ്രഹിച്ച്, ആദിത്യർ, വസുക്കൾ, രുദ്രർ, കൂടാതെ ഇരുനാസത്യർ (അശ്വിനികൾ) പരസ്പരം ഒരു മന്ത്രം രൂപപ്പെടുത്തി।

Word by Word

• श्राद्धार्थम्: for the purpose of śrāddha
• श्राद्धार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; श्राद्ध + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (श्राद्धाय अर्थः = for the purpose of śrāddha)

• सम्परिज्ञाय: having fully understood
• सम्परिज्ञाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+परि+√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• मन्त्रम्: a mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन

• चक्रुः: they made / composed
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• परस्परम्: mutually, among themselves
• परस्परम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्परम् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (reciprocal adverb: mutually)

• आदित्याः: the Ādityas
• आदित्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• वसवः: the Vasus
• वसवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• रुद्राः: the Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• नासत्यौ: the two Nāsatyas (Aśvins)
• नासत्यौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक (particle: also/even)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a king/listener within the frame narrative)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine council of Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, and the twin Aśvins confers and composes a mantra; below, a king listens as the narrator explains the origin of the mantra for śrāddha.

Characters & Entities

• Ādityas
• Vasus
• Rudras
• Nāsatyas (Aśvins)
• Śrāddha
• Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is presented as a sanctioned rite with divine acknowledgment, framed through the Devas’ collective decision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya (Gajacchāyā-māhātmya) within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The origin/establishment of a mantra connected to Śrāddha performance.