Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स्वकर्मोपार्जितैर्वित्तैः श्राद्धकार्याणि चाहरेत् । मायादिभिर्न चौर्येण न च्छलाप्तैर्न वंचनैः । स्ववृत्त्योपार्जितैर्वित्तैः श्राद्धद्रव्यं समाहरेत् । सुप्रतिग्रहजैर्द्रव्यैर्ब्राह्मणानां विशिष्यते

Transliteration

svakarmopārjitairvittaiḥ śrāddhakāryāṇi cāharet | māyādibhirna cauryeṇa na cchalāptairna vaṃcanaiḥ | svavṛttyopārjitairvittaiḥ śrāddhadravyaṃ samāharet | supratigrahajairdravyairbrāhmaṇānāṃ viśiṣyate

Translation

শ্ৰাদ্ধৰ সামগ্ৰী নিজৰ ধৰ্মসঙ্গত কৰ্মে উপাৰ্জিত ধনেৰে সংগ্ৰহ কৰিব লাগে; মায়া-ছলৰে নহয়, চৌৰ্যৰে নহয়, কৌশল-ঠগিৰে লাভ কৰা ধনেৰে নহয়, নতুবা বঞ্চনাৰে নহয়। নিজৰ জীৱিকাৰ শুদ্ধ উপাৰ্জনে শ্ৰাদ্ধদ্ৰব্য গোটাব। ব্ৰাহ্মণৰ বাবে সুপ্ৰতিগ্ৰহ—দোষহীন গ্ৰহণে লাভ কৰা দ্ৰব্য বিশেষ প্ৰশংসিত।

Word by Word

• स्वकर्म-उपार्जितैः: with (wealth) earned by one’s own work
• स्वकर्म-उपार्जितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + कर्म + उपार्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (instrumental plural)

• वित्तैः: with wealth
• वित्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental plural)

• श्राद्ध-कार्याणि: śrāddha duties/rites
• श्राद्ध-कार्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (neuter, accusative plural)

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

• आहरेत्: should bring/collect
• आहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (संभावना/विधि), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg)

• माया-आदिभिः: by deceit and the like
• माया-आदिभिः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; आदि-समास (instrumental plural)

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

• चौर्येण: by theft
• चौर्येण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (neuter, instrumental singular)

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• छल-आप्तैः: with (wealth) obtained by fraud
• छल-आप्तैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छल + आप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (instrumental plural)

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वंचनैः: by cheating
• वंचनैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (feminine, instrumental plural)

• स्ववृत्ति-उपार्जितैः: with (wealth) earned by one’s own livelihood
• स्ववृत्ति-उपार्जितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + वृत्ति + उपार्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (instrumental plural)

• वित्तैः: with wealth
• वित्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental plural)

• श्राद्ध-द्रव्यम्: materials for śrāddha
• श्राद्ध-द्रव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (neuter, accusative singular)

• समाहरेत्: should gather/collect
• समाहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg)

• सु-प्रतिग्रह-जैः: with (goods) arising from good/legitimate acceptance (gifts)
• सु-प्रतिग्रह-जैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + प्रतिग्रह + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (instrumental plural)

• द्रव्यैः: with substances/wealth
• द्रव्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental plural)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (masculine, genitive plural)

• विशिष्यते: is especially distinguished/superior
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present, 3rd sg, middle)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic tableau showing two paths: on one side honest labor and lawful earnings gathered for Śrāddha; on the other, shadowy figures of theft/deceit rejected—emphasizing moral economy.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña
• Pitṛs
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit depends on moral purity: offerings for ancestors must be supported by honest livelihood, not by unethical gain.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides universal dharma for Śrāddha within a tīrtha-oriented section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gather Śrāddha requisites only from rightful earnings; explicitly avoid wealth obtained through deceit, theft, fraud, or cheating; brāhmaṇas should use blamelessly accepted resources.