Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आगच्छंतु महाभागा विश्वेदेवा महाबलाः । ये यत्र विहिताः श्राद्धे सावधाना भवंतु ते

Transliteration

āgacchaṃtu mahābhāgā viśvedevā mahābalāḥ | ye yatra vihitāḥ śrāddhe sāvadhānā bhavaṃtu te

Translation

ഹേ മഹാഭാഗന്മാരേ, മഹാബലമുള്ള വിശ്വേദേവന്മാർ വരിക. ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ ഏവർക്കെവിടെ ഏതു വിധിഭാഗം നിശ്ചിതമോ, അവർ അവിടെ ജാഗ്രതയോടെ ഇരിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• आगच्छन्तु: let them come
• आगच्छन्तु: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• महाभागाः: O fortunate ones
• महाभागाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान्तः भागाः/महाभागाः = भाग्यवन्तः)

• विश्वेदेवाः: the Viśvedevas
• विश्वेदेवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वे (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (विश्वे देवाः = ‘Viśvedevas’)

• महाबलाः: mighty, of great strength
• महाबलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देश/स्थानवाचक relative adverb)

• विहिताः: appointed, prescribed
• विहिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धा (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग) → विहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘नियोजिताः/विन्यस्ताः’

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सावधानाः: attentive
• सावधानाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + अवधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘सावधान’ = सतर्क/attentive

• भवन्तु: let them be
• भवन्तु: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting at a tīrtha: a ritualist facing a prepared altar, palms joined in invocation, with subtle divine presences (Viśvedevās) arriving and taking assigned places; offerings arranged neatly.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevāḥ
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is a sacred coordination of human intention and divine order—invocation is paired with attentiveness and correct placement.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya; this verse specifically concerns liturgical invocation within the rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invoke the Viśvedevās and request their attentive presence in the Śrāddha according to their assigned positions/functions.