Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एवं सर्वाः क्रियाः कार्या दैविका सव्यपूर्विकाः । पैतृकाश्चापसव्येन मुक्त्वा नांदीमुखान्पितॄन्

Transliteration

evaṃ sarvāḥ kriyāḥ kāryā daivikā savyapūrvikāḥ | paitṛkāścāpasavyena muktvā nāṃdīmukhānpitṝn

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ എല്ലാ ദൈവിക കര്‍മ്മങ്ങളും സവ്യ-ക്രമത്തില്‍ ആരംഭിച്ച് ചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണ്; പിതൃകര്‍മ്മങ്ങള്‍ അപസവ്യ വിധിയില്‍—നാന്ദീമുഖ പിതൃകളെ ഒഴിവാക്കി।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (agreeing with क्रियाः)

• क्रियाः: rites/actions
• क्रियाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• कार्याः: should be done
• कार्याः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘to be done’

• दैविकाः: divine (for gods)
• दैविकाः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (agreeing with क्रियाः)

• सव्यपूर्विकाः: beginning with the savya (right) side
• सव्यपूर्विकाः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘सव्य-पूर्विका’ = beginning with savya (rightward)

• पैतृकाः: ancestral (rites)
• पैतृकाः: Karta (Subject, ellipsis)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (elliptically ‘क्रियाः’ understood)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अपसव्येन: by the apasavya (leftward) manner
• अपसव्येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपसव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; करणवाचक (by the apasavya method)

• मुक्त्वा: excepting/leaving aside
• मुक्त्वा: Apavāda (Exception marker)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having left/excepting’

• नांदीमुखान्: the Nāndīmukha (ancestors)
• नांदीमुखान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of पितॄन्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नांदीमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘नांदी- मुख’ (name of a class of pitṛs)

• पितॄन्: ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object, of implied rite)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tīrtha-bank ritual scene: a brāhmaṇa officiant instructs a king; participants shift the yajñopavīta between savya and apasavya while offering water to devas and pitṛs; a subtle halo-like auspiciousness around the Nāndīmukha invocation.

Characters & Entities

• Daivika-kriyā
• Paitṛka-kriyā
• Savya
• Apasavya
• Nāndīmukha Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is precise: divine and ancestral rites follow distinct orientations, and knowing the exceptions preserves both auspiciousness and correctness.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative frame but teaches broadly applicable ritual rules.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform daivika rites in savya orientation; perform paitṛka rites in apasavya, except when dealing with Nāndīmukha Pitṛs.