Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

मंत्रिभिः सह संभूय प्रेतकार्यं न्यवर्तयत् । मृतं ज्ञात्वा पतिं राज्ञी सहैवानुममार च

Transliteration

maṃtribhiḥ saha saṃbhūya pretakāryaṃ nyavartayat | mṛtaṃ jñātvā patiṃ rājñī sahaivānumamāra ca

Translation

เมื่อประชุมพร้อมด้วยเสนาบดีแล้ว เขาได้ประกอบพิธีกรรมแก่ผู้ล่วงลับโดยชอบธรรม ครั้นพระมเหสีทราบว่าพระสวามีสิ้นแล้ว ก็สิ้นชีพตามไปด้วย

Word by Word

• मन्त्रिभिः: with ministers
• मन्त्रिभिः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition-like: with)

• सम्भूय: having assembled
• सम्भूय: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: भू, उपसर्ग: सम्; अर्थ: समागत्य (having assembled)

• प्रेतकार्यं: funeral rites
• प्रेतकार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य कार्यम्)

• न्यवर्तयत्: performed/completed
• न्यवर्तयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अव-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि + अव; अर्थ: निर्वर्तयामास (carried out)

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: मृत (dead)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: ज्ञा (to know)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (with)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis: indeed/just)

• अनुममार: followed (him) in death
• अनुममार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अनु; अर्थ: अनुगमनरूपेण ममार (followed in death)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Brahmakhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The prince and ministers assemble to complete the departed rites; nearby, the queen, upon hearing of her husband’s death, resolves to follow him in death, intensifying the solemnity.

Characters & Entities

• Ministers (mantrins)
• Queen (rājñī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires honoring the departed through proper rites; life’s impermanence urges timely performance of prescribed duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it discusses funerary duty rather than a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pretakārya—obligatory rites for the deceased (funeral/after-death duties) are explicitly referenced.