Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

शन्नो देवीति मंत्रेण स्वाहाकारसमन्वितम् । पितॄणामर्घपात्रेषु तथैव च जलं क्षिपेत्

Transliteration

śanno devīti maṃtreṇa svāhākārasamanvitam | pitṝṇāmarghapātreṣu tathaiva ca jalaṃ kṣipet

Translation

‘ശന്നോ ദേവീ…’ എന്ന മന്ത്രം ‘സ്വാഹാ’ സഹിതം ജപിച്ച്, പിതൃകളുടെ അർഘ്യപാത്രങ്ങളിൽ അതുപോലെ ജലം ഒഴിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• शन्: ‘śam’ (auspiciousness)
• शन्: Mantra-quote (मन्त्रपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शम् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययात्मक)
• Form: अव्यय; मन्त्रपद (benedictive particle ‘well/auspiciously’)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Mantra-quote (मन्त्रपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Mantra-quote (मन्त्रपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• स्वाहाकारसमन्वितम्: accompanied by the utterance ‘svāhā’
• स्वाहाकारसमन्वितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाहा-कार-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वाहाकारैः समन्वितम्)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• अर्घपात्रेषु: in the arghya-vessels
• अर्घपात्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ-पात्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अर्घस्य पात्रम्)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार (in that manner)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/just)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्षिपेत्: should pour/throw
• क्षिपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest seated on darbha near a riverbank tīrtha, arghya-vessels arranged; he pours water while chanting ‘śanno devī…’ and uttering svāhā, facing the pitṛ-direction with composed posture.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• arghapātra
• svāhā
• jala (water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering water with mantra-sacralization is taught as a direct act of honor that sustains the bond between descendants and ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line is part of a tirtha-glorifying chapter, but it focuses on the arghya procedure rather than identifying a specific site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite ‘śanno devī…’ with ‘svāhā’ and pour water into the Pitṛs’ argha vessels.