Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18
उशंतस्त्वेति च तिलैः पितॄनावाहयेत्ततः । आयंतु न इति जपेत्ततः पार्थिवसत्तम
uśaṃtastveti ca tilaiḥ pitṝnāvāhayettataḥ | āyaṃtu na iti japettataḥ pārthivasattama
അതിനുശേഷം ‘ഉശന്തസ്ത്വേ…’ എന്ന മന്ത്രത്തോടെ എള്ളോടുകൂടെ പിതൃകളെ ആവാഹിക്കണം; പിന്നെ, ഹേ രാജശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ‘ആയന്തു നഃ’—‘ഞങ്ങളിലേക്കു വരട്ടെ’—എന്ന് ജപിക്കണം।
Skanda (deduced)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pārthivāsattama (best of kings) addressed
Scene: A śrāddha altar with black sesame and water; the priest chants while sprinkling/holding tilā; the words ‘āyaṃtu na’ are visualized as a welcoming gesture, with pitṛs approaching to receive tarpaṇa.
FAQs
Ancestors are approached through mantra, purity, and offerings; remembrance becomes a sacred invitation rather than mere sentiment.
The verse is embedded in a Tīrthamāhātmya context but does not specify a named place in this line.
Invoke the Pitṛs with sesame using the ‘uśantas tv…’ formula, then recite ‘āyaṃtu naḥ’ as japa.