Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं समाचरेत्पश्चाल्लोकपालानुरूपिभिः । कृत्वाग्रे लोकपालांस्तु प्रतिष्ठाप्य यथाविधि

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ samācaretpaścāllokapālānurūpibhiḥ | kṛtvāgre lokapālāṃstu pratiṣṭhāpya yathāvidhi

Translation

اس کے بعد وہ لوک پالوں کے شایانِ شان طریقے سے شرادھ ادا کرے؛ پہلے مقررہ ودھی کے مطابق سامنے لوک پالوں کی پرتِشٹھا کرے۔

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; object sense (कर्म)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• लोकपाल-अनुरूपिभिः: with (things/persons) appropriate to the lokapālas
• लोकपाल-अनुरूपिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘लोकपालानुरूपिन्’ = लोकपालानां अनुरूपः (in accordance with the lokapālas)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अग्रे: in front; beforehand
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative used adverbially)

• लोकपालान्: the lokapālas (guardians of the worlds)
• लोकपालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed/established
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति+स्था (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund) रूप; ‘स्थापयित्वा’ अर्थे

• यथा-विधि: according to the prescribed rule
• यथा-विधि: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (ritual manual style instruction within Revākhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (general Revākhaṇḍa setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank altar, the performer arranges seats/kalashas for the Lokapālas in the front (directionally), preparing to begin śrāddha with strict ritual order.

Characters & Entities

• Lokapālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order matters: cosmic guardianship (Lokapālas) is acknowledged before completing ancestral offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Revākhaṇḍa’s river-tīrtha framework (Revā/Narmadā region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Install/establish the Lokapālas first (pratiṣṭhā), then perform śrāddha accordingly.