Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कालशाकं सकटुकं मुखाऽधिजनकं महत् । कस्माद्यच्छसि चास्माकं भक्त्या परमया युतः । न श्राद्धे प्रतिषेधश्च प्रकर्तव्यः कथंचन

Transliteration

kālaśākaṃ sakaṭukaṃ mukhā'dhijanakaṃ mahat | kasmādyacchasi cāsmākaṃ bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ | na śrāddhe pratiṣedhaśca prakartavyaḥ kathaṃcana

Translation

Warum gibst du uns kālaśāka, scharf und den Mund stark reizend, obwohl du mit höchster Bhakti erfüllt bist? Im śrāddha darf auf keinerlei Weise etwas Unziemliches eingeführt werden.

Word by Word

• कालशाकम्: black/dark leafy vegetable (kāla-śāka)
• कालशाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• सकटुकम्: with pungency; spicy
• सकटुकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + कटुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कालशाकम्

• मुखाधिजनकम्: producing mouth-discomfort/irritation
• मुखाधिजनकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख + अधि + जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कालशाकम्

• महत्: great; excessive
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कालशाकम्

• कस्मात्: from what reason? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/neuter pronominal), पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन (singular); हेतौ (reason)

• यच्छसि: you give/offer
• यच्छसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम्/यच्छ् (धातु √यम् ‘to give/offer’ in desiderative/causative-like present stem यच्छ-)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

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

• अस्माकम्: of us; to us
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular); साधन/हेतु (means/cause)

• परमया: supreme; utmost
• परमया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to भक्त्या

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); कर्तृविशेषण (predicate adjective)

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

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रतिषेधः: prohibition
• प्रतिषेधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिषेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

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

• प्रकर्तव्यः: to be done; should be made
• प्रकर्तव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कर्तव्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); विधेय (predicative) agreeing with प्रतिषेधः

• कथंचन: in any way; at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas addressing the king

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa elder, compassionate yet firm, points to a dish of dark leafy greens with sharp spices; he warns the king that śrāddha admits no prohibited innovation; the king’s face shows remorse and attentiveness.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be guided by discernment; śrāddha requires careful avoidance of unsuitable offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the ritual-dharma layer within a tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It advises that in śrāddha one should not introduce improper/unsuitable items—here, pungent mouth-irritating food.