Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

एकोद्दिष्टं न शंसंति सपिण्डीकरणं परम् । कस्मात्तत्र प्रकर्तव्यं वदैतन्मम विस्त रात्

Transliteration

ekoddiṣṭaṃ na śaṃsaṃti sapiṇḍīkaraṇaṃ param | kasmāttatra prakartavyaṃ vadaitanmama vista rāt

Translation

«(قومٌ) لا يستحسنون قربان الإيكودِّشْتا (ekoddiṣṭa)، و(آخرون يذكرون) الطقس الأرفع: سَپِنْدِيكَرَنَة (sapiṇḍīkaraṇa). فلماذا إذن ينبغي إقامته هناك؟ بيّن لي ذلك بيانًا مفصّلًا.»

Word by Word

• एकोद्‌दिष्टम्: the single (ekoddiṣṭa) rite/oblation
• एकोद्‌दिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + उद्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्म/विषय-रूपे (neuter nom/acc sg)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• शंसन्ति: they recommend/praise
• शंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd pl)

• सपिण्डीकरणम्: the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa rite (making one with the piṇḍa/ancestors)
• सपिण्डीकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + पिण्डीकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• परम्: supreme/most important
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom/acc sg, adjective)

• कस्मात्: why/from what reason
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative sg: 'from what/why')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: to be done/should be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तव्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be done)

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative, 2nd sg)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

• मम: of me/to me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (gen sg)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; प्रकारे/विस्तारे (ablative sg: 'in detail/at length')

Speaker

Ānarta (continuing inquiry)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scholastic ritual debate scene: the king gestures toward two symbolic ritual trays—one labeled ekoddiṣṭa (single piṇḍa focus) and another sapiṇḍīkaraṇa (multiple piṇḍas/ancestral line)—asking the sage to reconcile differing opinions.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual authority is clarified through reasoned inquiry: correct ancestral rites depend on context and scriptural intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It raises the issue of performing ekoddiṣṭa and/or sapiṇḍīkaraṇa and asks why one is required in that specific case.