Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र श्राद्धं समाचरेत् । स्नानं च ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठा दानं वापि स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra śrāddhaṃ samācaret | snānaṃ ca brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhā dānaṃ vāpi svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

فلذلك ينبغي للمرء أن يجتهد غاية الاجتهاد في إقامة «شرادها» هناك على الوجه اللائق؛ وأن يغتسل أيضًا، يا أفضلَ البراهمة، وأن يتصدّق بحسب طاقته.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore, from that (reason)
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादानार्थ (from that)

• sarva-prayatnena: with all effort
• sarva-prayatnena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे: सर्वः प्रयत्नः; करणभाव

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• samācaret: should perform
• samācaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhāḥ: O best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhāḥ: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे (vocative sense in context): ब्राह्मणेषु श्रेष्ठाः

• dānam: gift, charity
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावक अव्यय (also/even)

• sva-śaktitaḥ: according to one’s capacity
• sva-śaktitaḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव: स्वशक्तितः = स्वस्य शक्तेः अनुसारात्; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (according to one’s ability)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhrūṇagarta

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential ritual montage at the pit-tīrtha: bathing, then śrāddha setup, then dāna to brāhmaṇas and the needy; the emphasis is on orderly, effortful observance rather than spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Bhrūṇagarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes sincere practice over extravagance: do śrāddha, bathe, and give charity in proportion to your means, especially at a holy site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha praised in the preceding verses—Bhrūṇagarta Tīrtha—where these rites are strongly recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha at the tīrtha, take ritual snāna, and offer dāna (charity) according to one’s capacity.