Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तस्मिन्नहनि कारयेत् । अन्यमुद्दिश्य तत्सर्वं प्रेतानामिह जायते

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tasminnahani kārayet | anyamuddiśya tatsarvaṃ pretānāmiha jāyate

Translation

فلذلك، وبكل اجتهاد، ينبغي أن يُقام الطقس في ذلك اليوم بعينه؛ لأن كل ما يُفعل هنا بنية إهدائه لغيره يصير في الحقيقة للپريتات (preta) وحدهم، أي لأرواح الموتى.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• तस्मिन्: on that/in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अहनि: on the day
• अहनि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कारयेत्: should have (it) performed
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) [णिच् causative: कारय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘should cause to be done’)

• अन्यम्: another (person)
• अन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: intending/dedicating (to)
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘उद्दिश्य’ = having designated/aiming at

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रेतानाम्: of the departed spirits
• प्रेतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu (in dialogue with Śakra/Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual teacher points to a lunar calendar (tithi) while a householder prepares offerings; subtle preta figures gather at the edge of the scene, indicating that misdirected acts ‘become for pretas’.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha should be performed with correct timing and intention; misdirected dedication can fail to reach the intended recipient and instead relate to preta-state beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To ensure the rite is carried out on the specified day (tithi/day) with proper dedication (uddeśa).