Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भर्तृयज्ञ उवाच । प्रणम्यामंत्रिता ये च श्राद्रार्थं ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः । आनीय कुतपे काले तान्सर्वान्प्रार्थयेदि दम्

Transliteration

bhartṛyajña uvāca | praṇamyāmaṃtritā ye ca śrādrārthaṃ brāhmaṇottamāḥ | ānīya kutape kāle tānsarvānprārthayedi dam

Translation

ภรรตฤยัชญะกล่าวว่า: “เมื่อได้กราบนอบน้อมและเชิญพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐเพื่อศราทธะแล้ว พึงพาท่านทั้งปวงมาในกาลอันเหมาะ คือกุฏปะ-กาล แล้วจึงอาราธนาท่านทั้งหมดด้วยความเคารพดังนี้”

Word by Word

• भर्तृयज्ञः: Bhartṛyajña (name)
• भर्तृयज्ञः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वक्तृ-नाम)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नम् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘प्रणम्य’ = प्रणामं कृत्वा

• आमन्त्रिताः: invited
• आमन्त्रिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) → आमन्त्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘आहूताः/निमन्त्रिताः’

• ये: who, those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• श्राद्धार्थम्: for the śrāddha purpose
• श्राद्धार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्राद्धस्य अर्थः)

• ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः: excellent brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः ब्राह्मणाः)

• आनीय: having brought
• आनीय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नी (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘आनयित्वा’

• कुतपे: at the kutapa (auspicious śrāddha time/seat)
• कुतपे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुतप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे भेदः), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; ‘कुतप’ = श्राद्धकालविशेषः/आसनविशेषः

• काले: at the time
• काले: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रार्थयेत्: should request, should entreat
• प्रार्थयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्थ् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/potential), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karman (Object—said/requested/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (outer frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder bows to invited brāhmaṇas, then leads them to the śrāddha place at midday’s auspicious kutapa-kāla; the brāhmaṇas are honored with seats and water, and the yajamāna begins a formal request.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña
• Brāhmaṇa
• Śrāddha
• Kutapa-kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence and proper timing are integral to dharma: honoring worthy Brāhmaṇas with humility strengthens the efficacy of ancestral rites.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya, though this verse emphasizes correct conduct rather than describing the geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invite worthy Brāhmaṇas for Śrāddha, bring them at kutapa-kāla, and address them with a formal request.