Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तिलं वा तैलपक्वं वा शूकधान्यमथापि वा । न यत्र दीयते श्राद्धे तत्ते श्राद्धं भविष्यति

Transliteration

tilaṃ vā tailapakvaṃ vā śūkadhānyamathāpi vā | na yatra dīyate śrāddhe tatte śrāddhaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

إن لم يُقدَّم في الشْرادها (śrāddha) سمسمٌ (tila)، ولا طعامٌ مطبوخٌ بالزيت، ولا حتى حبوبٌ بقشورها (śūkadhānya)، فإنّ ذلك الشْرادها يصير ناقصًا عليك.

Word by Word

• तिलम्: sesame
• तिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (दीयते इत्यस्य कर्म)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• तैलपक्वम्: cooked in oil
• तैलपक्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्व (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘तैलेन पक्वम्’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; (कर्मरूपेण)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• शूकधान्यम्: grain with husk
• शूकधान्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूक (प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘शूकं धान्यम्’ (grain with husk/ear)

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (then/and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• श्राद्धे: in the Śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; correlative to ‘यत्र’ clause

• ते: your/for you
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: Śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma/Prameya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will become/shall be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha meal arrangement where sesame is conspicuously absent; bowls of grains and oil-cooked dishes are shown as missing, while the priest points to an empty spot on the offering leaf/plate.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Tila
• Tailapakva
• Śūkadhānya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be expressed through proper offerings; śrāddha is a disciplined act of ancestral reverence, not a casual meal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse details śrāddha requirements within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Include prescribed offerings such as tila (sesame), oil-cooked food, and appropriate grains in śrāddha.