Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

आवाहनात्परं यत्र मौनं न श्राद्धदश्चरेत् । ब्राह्मणो वाऽथ भोक्ता च तत्ते श्राद्धं भविष्यति

Transliteration

āvāhanātparaṃ yatra maunaṃ na śrāddhadaścaret | brāhmaṇo vā'tha bhoktā ca tatte śrāddhaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

ଆବାହନ ପରେ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧବିଧିର ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ ମୌନ ପାଳନ ହୁଏ ନାହିଁ—ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ କରୁନ୍ତୁ କି ଭୋକ୍ତା—ସେ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ ତୁମର ହେବ।

Word by Word

• आवाहनात्: from/after the invocation
• आवाहनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘आवाहन’ = invocation

• परम्: afterwards
• परम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘afterwards/thereafter’

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb) ‘where’

• मौनम्: silence
• मौनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘silence’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• श्राद्धदः: the performer of śrāddha
• श्राद्धदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्धद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘one who gives/does śrāddha’

• चरेत्: should practice/observe
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle) ‘or’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/प्रसङ्गार्थक (then/and then)

• भोक्ता: the eater/recipient
• भोक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोक्‍तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘eater/recipient (of the offering)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction) ‘and’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of you/your’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be/come to be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (Lokapitāmaha), addressing the Rākṣasa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Moment immediately after āvāhana: performer with folded hands, kuśa in hand; officiant and diners shown with a finger-to-lips gesture indicating silence; a contrasting figure begins to speak, with the atmosphere subtly disturbed (ripples in water pot, wavering flame).

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Rākṣasa
• Śrāddha
• Āvāhana
• Mauna
• Brāhmaṇa
• Bhoktā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is sustained by disciplined conduct; breaking prescribed observances (like mauna) undermines its sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After āvāhana, maintain the śrāddha’s required silence—by both officiant and diners.