Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाऽथ दत्त्वा वा यः श्राद्धं मानवाधमः । ग्रामातरं प्रयात्यत्र तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

śrāddhe bhuktvā'tha dattvā vā yaḥ śrāddhaṃ mānavādhamaḥ | grāmātaraṃ prayātyatra tacchrāddhaṃ vyarthatāṃ vrajet

Translation

Wenn ein niederer Mensch, nachdem er bei einem Śrāddha gegessen oder das Śrāddha dargebracht hat, von dort in ein anderes Dorf aufbricht, dann wird jenes Śrāddha fruchtlos.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘having eaten’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थ (then/and then)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘having given’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थ (or)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• श्राद्धम्: the śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• मानवाधमः: the lowest of men
• मानवाधमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मानवानाम् अधमः)

• ग्रामातरम्: to another village
• ग्रामातरम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम + तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ग्रामात् अन्यः’ इति तद्धित/समासार्थ; गन्तव्य-कर्म (destination as object)

• प्रयाति: goes
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here/therein
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here/therein)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक (that)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject of result)

• व्यर्थताम्: futility, uselessness
• व्यर्थताम्: Karma (Result/State as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (state reached)

• व्रजेत्: would go/attain
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (didactic instruction within Śrāddha-kalpa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied by nearby address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler with staff and bundle stepping away from a śrāddha courtyard while the ritual space remains behind; a teacher figure gestures to stop him; the pitṛs above appear to recede, indicating loss of phala.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After Śrāddha, one should maintain prescribed decorum and stability; frivolous departure is treated as disrespect that cancels merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is given in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative setting of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not immediately depart ‘from there’ to another village after participating in Śrāddha as eater or donor.