Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

विश्वेदेवैर्विना श्राद्धं यत्त्वया समुदाहृतम् । एकोद्दिष्टं नराः सर्वे करिष्यंति धरातले

Transliteration

viśvedevairvinā śrāddhaṃ yattvayā samudāhṛtam | ekoddiṣṭaṃ narāḥ sarve kariṣyaṃti dharātale

Translation

وأمّا الشِّرادها (śrāddha) التي أعلنتَ إقامتها من غير آلَةِ الفيشڤيديفا (Viśvedevā)، فإن الناس جميعًا على ظهر الأرض سيؤدّونها على هيئة شِرادها «إيكودِّشْتا» (ekoddiṣṭa) ذات قصدٍ واحد.

Word by Word

• विश्वेदेवैः: by/with the Viśvedevas
• विश्वेदेवैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वे देवाः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थक उपपद (preposition: 'without'), तृतीया-सम्बन्धी

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• समुदाहृतम्: was declared/uttered
• समुदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+√हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense)

• एकोद्दिष्टम्: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-oblation) śrāddha
• एकोद्दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √दिश् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे रूढ (ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha: rite for a single departed)

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of नराः)

• करिष्यन्ति: will do, will perform
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• धरातले: on the earth
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (continuation of ordinance)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara śrāddha (custom)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Vāsava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Brahmā’s decree radiates into the human world where householders perform ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha—one focused offering—without invoking the Viśvedevās.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevāḥ
• Śrāddha
• Ekoddiṣṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual forms vary by ordinance; correct performance depends on following the prescribed recipient-deities and intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse discusses śrāddha classification rather than a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha done ‘without the Viśvedevās’ is identified as ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha to be practiced by people on earth.