Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततः संतर्प्य देवांश्च पितॄंश्च तदनंतरम् । पूजयित्वा हविर्वाहं ब्राह्मणांश्च ततः परम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃtarpya devāṃśca pitṝṃśca tadanaṃtaram | pūjayitvā havirvāhaṃ brāhmaṇāṃśca tataḥ param

Translation

ତତଃ ସେ ବିଧିପୂର୍ବକ ଦେବମାନଙ୍କୁ ସନ୍ତର୍ପଣ କରି, ପରେ ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କୁ ତର୍ପଣ କଲେ। ହବିର୍ବାହ ଅଗ୍ନିଙ୍କୁ ପୂଜି, ତାପରେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାରେ ପୂଜିଲେ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे ‘अनन्तरम्/तस्मात्’

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययीभाव-प्राय) = gerund/absolutive; ‘संतर्प्य’ = having satisfied (fed)

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय = conjunction ‘and’

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• तदनन्तरम्: immediately thereafter
• तदनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + anantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध): ‘तद्-अनन्तरम्’; अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण = immediately after that

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त = gerund/absolutive; ‘पूजयित्वा’ = having worshipped

• हविर्वाहम्: Havirvāha (Agni, carrier of oblations)
• हविर्वाहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havis (प्रातिपदिक) + vāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध) ‘हविषां वाहः’ = Agni; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणान्: the brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• परम्: next; afterwards
• परम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-द्वितीया/प्रथमा रूपेण अव्ययवत्; क्रियाविशेषण = thereafter/next

Speaker

Sūta (narrating ritual sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim/muni completes tarpaṇa to devas and pitṛs, then honors Agni as the havis-bearer, and finally bows to seated brāhmaṇas awaiting hospitality.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (gods)
• Pitṛ (ancestors)
• Agni (Havirvāha)
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through ordered worship: honoring gods, ancestors, sacred fire, and brāhmaṇas sustains cosmic and social harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly named; the rites are described within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-māhātmya narrative environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa/santarpana for devas and pitṛs, worship of Agni (havis-carrier), and honoring brāhmaṇas—an archetypal Purāṇic ritual sequence.