Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

निर्वृत्य ब्रह्मणः श्राद्धं गयायां तत्र पार्थिव । प्रोचुश्च वृत्रहंतारं कुरु श्राद्धं शतक्रतो

Transliteration

nirvṛtya brahmaṇaḥ śrāddhaṃ gayāyāṃ tatra pārthiva | procuśca vṛtrahaṃtāraṃ kuru śrāddhaṃ śatakrato

Translation

Wahai raja, setelah mereka menyempurnakan śrāddha bagi Brahmā di Gayā, mereka berkata kepada pembunuh Vṛtra: “Wahai Śatakratu, laksanakanlah śrāddha.”

Word by Word

• निर्वृत्य: having completed
• निर्वृत्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + वृत् (धातु) + निर्वृत्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive); ‘having completed/finished’

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• गयायाम्: in Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• प्रोचुः: they said
• प्रोचुः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/परस्मैपद (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• वृत्रहन्तारम्: the slayer of Vṛtra (Indra)
• वृत्रहन्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र + हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृत्रस्य हन्ता)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• शतक्रतो: O Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (शतं क्रतवो यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Gayā, after completing Brahmā’s śrāddha, the Viśvedevas address Indra (Vṛtrahan/Śatakratu), urging him to perform śrāddha; a solemn riverbank/altar setting with offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Brahmā
• Vṛtrahantā (Indra)
• Śatakratu (Indra)
• Viśvedevas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the foremost gods honor Gayā’s śrāddha-tradition, showing that dharma is upheld through prescribed rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā, explicitly named as the place where śrāddha is completed and urged.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Completion of Brahmā’s śrāddha at Gayā and the exhortation that Indra should likewise perform śrāddha.