Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तदभावे गृहस्थांश्च । ब्रह्मज्ञानपरायणान् अग्निहोत्रपरान्विप्रान्वेदविद्याविचक्षणान्

Transliteration

tadabhāve gṛhasthāṃśca | brahmajñānaparāyaṇān agnihotraparānviprānvedavidyāvicakṣaṇān

Translation

Jika mereka (yati dan snātaka) tiada, hendaklah menjemput para grihastha yang berpegang pada pengetahuan Brahman—para brāhmaṇa yang tekun pada Agnihotra dan mahir dalam ilmu Veda.

Word by Word

• तदभावे: in their absence
• तदभावे: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘तस्य अभावः’ = in their absence

• गृहस्थान्: householders
• गृहस्थान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मज्ञानपरायणान्: devoted to knowledge of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञानपरायणान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-ज्ञान-परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘ब्रह्मज्ञानं परायणं येषां ते’ = devoted to knowledge of Brahman; ‘गृहस्थान्/विप्रान्’ इत्यादीनां विशेषणम्

• अग्निहोत्रपरान्: devoted to the agnihotra rite
• अग्निहोत्रपरान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निहोत्र-पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘अग्निहोत्रे परः’ = devoted to agnihotra

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वेदविद्याविचक्षणान्: skilled in Vedic learning
• वेदविद्याविचक्षणान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-विद्या-विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘वेदविद्यायां विचक्षणः’ = skilled in Vedic learning

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna respectfully invites learned household brāhmaṇas—one tending a small sacred fire, another holding Vedic manuscripts—signaling agnihotra and brahma-jñāna devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhasthas
• Brāhmaṇas
• Agnihotra
• Vedic learning

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worthiness for receiving ritual honor is measured by spiritual orientation—Vedic discipline, Agnihotra, and Brahman-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; this is a general rule for selecting qualified invitees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

When higher-preference invitees are absent, invite qualified gṛhastha brāhmaṇas devoted to Agnihotra and Vedic learning.