Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो वचनाद्राजन्भूतप्रेतैश्च दानवैः । तेनैकोद्दिष्टमेवात्र कर्तव्यं न तु पार्वणम्

Transliteration

brahmaṇo vacanādrājanbhūtapretaiśca dānavaiḥ | tenaikoddiṣṭamevātra kartavyaṃ na tu pārvaṇam

Translation

بأمرِ براهما (Brahmā)، أيّها الملك—ونظرًا لوجود البهوتا (bhūta) والبريتا (preta) والدانافا (dānava)—يجب هنا أداء طقس الإيكودِّشْتا (ekoddiṣṭa) وحده، لا شرادها البارفانا (pārvaṇa).

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Source/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• वचनात्: from the word/command
• वचनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (Abl. sg.); हेत्वर्थे (because of/from the statement)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Voc. sg.)

• भूतप्रेतैः: by bhūtas and pretas
• भूतप्रेतैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); द्वन्द्वः (भूताश्च प्रेताश्च)

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

• दानवैः: by dānavas (demons)
• दानवैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• तेन: therefore, by that
• तेन: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.); तस्मात्/अतः अर्थे (therefore/by that)

• एकोद्‌दिष्टम्: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-offering śrāddha)
• एकोद्‌दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √दिश् + उद्, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); तत्पुरुषः (एकस्य उद्दिष्टम्)

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive)

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

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष

• पार्वणम्: the pārvaṇa śrāddha (performed on parvan)
• पार्वणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens to a sage explaining that, by Brahmā’s ordinance, only ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha is to be done here; the background hints at a liminal cremation-ground/tīrtha edge where unseen bhūtas and pretas linger.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• bhūta
• preta
• dānava
• ekoddiṣṭa
• pārvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural injunction (āgamic/purāṇic authority) determines the proper rite; following it preserves the intended spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The snippet focuses on ritual classification rather than praising a named tīrtha; it remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-instruction context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It explicitly commands ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha and prohibits pārvaṇa śrāddha in this circumstance.