Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यच्च शस्त्रहतानां च तस्मिन्नहनि दीयते । एकोद्दिष्टं नरैः श्राद्धं तत्ते वक्ष्यामि कारणम्

Transliteration

yacca śastrahatānāṃ ca tasminnahani dīyate | ekoddiṣṭaṃ naraiḥ śrāddhaṃ tatte vakṣyāmi kāraṇam

Translation

وأما شعيرة «إيكودِّشْتَه شرادها» التي يقدّمها الناس في ذلك اليوم بعينه لمن قُتلوا بالسلاح، فسأبيّن لك علتها.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun (that/which)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; and

• शस्त्रहतानाम्: of those slain by weapons
• शस्त्रहतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्रहता (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शस्त्र + हत (√हन् + क्त))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; genitive plural (of those slain by weapons)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; and

• तस्मिन्: on that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular (on that)

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular (on the day)

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): is given

• एकोद्दिष्टम्: ekoddiṣṭa (type)
• एकोद्दिष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकोद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; एक + उद्दिष्ट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular qualifying श्राद्धम्

• नरैः: by people
• नरैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; instrumental plural (by men)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha offering
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular (śrāddha rite)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun (that)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic); here dative/genitive sense: to you/for you

• वक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; simple future (I shall tell)

• कारणम्: reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular (reason)

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher (contextual; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator begins explaining the rationale for ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha offered immediately for those slain by weapons; a ritual scene with piṇḍa, water libations, and attentive listeners.

Characters & Entities

• Weapon-slain (śastrahata)
• Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not only commanded but also explained: ritual forms have specific reasons tied to the condition of the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha is offered on a particular day for those killed by weapons, and the text proceeds to give its rationale.