Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

शिल्पजीवी प्रमादी च पण्य जीवी कृतायुधः । एतान्विवर्जयेच्छ्राद्धे येषां नो ज्ञायते कुलम्

Transliteration

śilpajīvī pramādī ca paṇya jīvī kṛtāyudhaḥ | etānvivarjayecchrāddhe yeṣāṃ no jñāyate kulam

Translation

Beim śrāddha soll man meiden: den vom Handwerk Lebenden, den Nachlässigen, den vom Handel Lebenden und den Waffenmacher; ebenso jene, deren Familienlinie nicht bekannt ist.

Word by Word

• śilpajīvī: one who lives by a craft/artisan
• śilpajīvī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilpa + jīvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śilpasya jīvin = one who lives by craft)

• pramādī: a negligent/careless person
• pramādī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• paṇya-jīvī: a trader/one who lives by commerce
• paṇya-jīvī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṇya + jīvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (paṇyasya jīvin = one who lives by trade/merchandise)

• kṛtāyudhaḥ: one with weapon ready/armed
• kṛtāyudhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (kṛtam āyudham yasya/with prepared weapon)

• etān: these (persons)
• etān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• vivarjayet: should avoid/exclude
• vivarjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√vṛj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• śrāddhe: in the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• yeṣām: of whom
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• naḥ: to us/our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; enclitic (our)

• jñāyate: is known/is ascertained
• jñāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• kulam: family/lineage
• kulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tīrtha-town street near a ghat: various guild workers (artisan, merchant, weapon-maker) pass by; the śrāddha host and priest select invitees from a known brāhmaṇa community, emphasizing discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Kula

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The rite prioritizes reliability, recognized lineage, and conduct believed to sustain ritual sanctity and ancestral connection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular holy site is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Exclude certain professions/temperaments and anyone of unknown lineage from śrāddha seating and offerings.