Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

त्वं च तस्य प्रभावं मे प्रजल्पसि द्विजो त्तम । विशेषाच्छ्राद्धकृत्ये च तदेवं मम संशयः

Transliteration

tvaṃ ca tasya prabhāvaṃ me prajalpasi dvijo ttama | viśeṣācchrāddhakṛtye ca tadevaṃ mama saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Und du, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, sprich zu mir von seiner Wirkkraft, besonders im Śrāddha-Ritus; darin liegt mein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (2nd person pronoun; Nom., Singular)

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

• तस्य: of that/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Gen., Singular)

• प्रभावम्: power/effect
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Acc., Singular)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Dat., Singular)

• प्रजल्पसि: you explain/speak
• प्रजल्पसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√जल्प् (धातु), लट्
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (2nd person singular)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best brāhmaṇa
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Voc., Singular); समासः—द्विज-उत्तम (best of the twice-born)

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत; हेत्वर्थ/विशेषणार्थ (adverbial ablative: 'especially')

• श्राद्धकृत्ये: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धकृत्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Loc., Singular); समासः—श्राद्ध-कृत्य (śrāddha-ritual act)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/in this way')

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Gen., Singular)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Singular)

Speaker

Questioner (listener in dialogue; not named in the provided snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhartṛyajña (addressed as dvijottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The questioner leans forward with respectful urgency, asking the learned brāhmaṇa to explain the special efficacy in śrāddha, signaling a move from ethics to ritual rationale.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is clarified through respectful inquiry: doubts about ritual practice should be resolved by learned instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets up a ritual-theological explanation within the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the śrāddha-kṛtya (ancestral rite) and asks about the special efficacy connected with it.