Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

संनिवेश्य दर्भबटूञ्छ्राद्धं कुर्याद्द्विजोत्तमाः । दक्षिणा भोजनं देयं स्थानिकानां चिरादपि

Transliteration

saṃniveśya darbhabaṭūñchrāddhaṃ kuryāddvijottamāḥ | dakṣiṇā bhojanaṃ deyaṃ sthānikānāṃ cirādapi

Translation

يا أفضلَ ذوي الولادتين، بعد أن تُجلِسَ تماثيلَ الدَّربها من العشب، فأقِمْ الشرادها. وامنحْ الدكشِنا (الأجرَ الطقسي) والطعام—بل حتى لأهلِ الموضع—ليكتملَ العملُ على وفقِ دارما المقامِ المقدّس.

Word by Word

• संनिवेश्य: having seated/arranged
• संनिवेश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-नि-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• दर्भबटून्: the darbha-made/with-darbha novices (baṭus)
• दर्भबटून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ + बटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (दर्भमयाः बटवः)

• श्राद्धम्: Śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजेषु उत्तमाः)

• दक्षिणा: fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भोजनम्: food/meal
• भोजनम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देयम्: to be given
• देयम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (दा धातु, यत्/कृदन्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be given)

• स्थानिकानाम्: to/for the local residents
• स्थानिकानाम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थानिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• चिरात्: after a long time / long
• चिरात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya instructional tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to dvijoत्तमाः (best of twice-born) as instruction; broader frame likely king-listener in surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting: darbha laid out, piṇḍa plates, water vessels; brāhmaṇas seated; the yajamāna offers dakṣiṇā and serves a meal; local residents receive respectful portions near a tīrtha precinct.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-śrāddha is fulfilled through correct ritual form and generous completion—especially gifts and feeding in a spirit aligned with the sacred place’s dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; it praises tīrtha-based śrāddha practice in general rather than naming a single site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seat the darbha arrangements for the rite, perform śrāddha, and give dakṣiṇā and food—also to locals/residents.