Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

तथा देवगणाः सर्वे साहाय्यं ये समाश्रिताः । अत्र कुर्वंति दोषाढ्ये यज्ञे वै पांचभर्तृके

Transliteration

tathā devagaṇāḥ sarve sāhāyyaṃ ye samāśritāḥ | atra kurvaṃti doṣāḍhye yajñe vai pāṃcabhartṛke

Translation

ฉันนั้นแล หมู่เทพทั้งปวงผู้มาพึ่งพาเพื่อขอความช่วยเหลือ ณ ที่นี้—เข้าร่วมในยัญพิธีนี้—กำลังกระทำอยู่ในพิธีกรรมที่อัดแน่นด้วยโทษ ในยัญ ‘มีสามีห้าคน’ นี้

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे ("likewise")

• देव-गणाः: groups of gods
• देव-गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवानां गणाः)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (देवगणाः)

• साहाय्यम्: help
• साहाय्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोगः (relative pronoun)

• सम्-आश्रिताः: having resorted to
• सम्-आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषणम् (ये)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• कुर्वन्ति: they do
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दोष-आढ्ये: in the fault-laden
• दोष-आढ्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दोषैः आढ्यः), विशेषणम् (यज्ञे)

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधारण/खल्वर्थे (emphatic particle)

• पांच-भर्तृके: in the five-husbanded (rite)
• पांच-भर्तृके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पांच (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भर्तृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च भर्तारो यस्य), विशेषणम् (यज्ञे)

Speaker

Sāvitrī (deduced from immediate narrative context; explicitly named in 192.83)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Deva-gaṇas hover or stand around a sacrificial arena, yet the rite appears fractured—misaligned altars, conflicting priests—signaling ‘doṣāḍhya’ yajña.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Devagaṇa (hosts of gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine participation does not sanctify a fundamentally flawed rite; dharma depends on correctness of intention and procedure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka belongs to the Tīrthamāhātmya setting of Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but this particular verse focuses on the sacrificial fault rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription: avoid or correct a doṣa-laden yajña; ensure ritual propriety before invoking divine aid.