Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

न दास्यंति यथोक्तानि ते कव्यानि कथंचन । ततः कष्टतराऽवस्था पितॄणां संभविष्यति

Transliteration

na dāsyaṃti yathoktāni te kavyāni kathaṃcana | tataḥ kaṣṭatarā'vasthā pitṝṇāṃ saṃbhaviṣyati

Translation

Keineswegs werden sie die kavya-Gaben darbringen, wie es vorgeschrieben ist; daher wird für die Pitṛs (Ahnen) ein noch härterer Zustand entstehen.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• दास्यन्ति: will give
• दास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथोक्तानि: as prescribed
• यथोक्तानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा + उक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (kavyāni); अव्ययीभावः (यथा उक्तानि = as said/prescribed)

• ते: those
• ते: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण/निर्देशक (kavyāni)

• कव्यानि: kavya offerings (to ancestors)
• कव्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• कथंचन: in any way at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (particle/adverb: 'in any way/at all')

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (therefore/then)

• कष्टतरा: more difficult
• कष्टतरा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कष्टतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीय-तुलनात्मक (comparative) विशेषण (avasthā)

• अवस्था: condition/state
• अवस्था: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• संभविष्यति: will arise/occur
• संभविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A somber vision: neglected ancestral rites; Pitṛs appear faint and distressed, awaiting kavya that never arrives; a household altar lies unattended.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Pitṛs
• Kavya (Śrāddha offerings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of prescribed duties—especially toward ancestors—creates suffering in subtle realms and disrupts intergenerational dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give kavya (śrāddha offerings) exactly as prescribed (yathokta); failure to do so harms Pitṛ welfare.