Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं विनापि दातव्यं तद्दिने मधुना सह । पायसं ब्राह्मणाग्र्येभ्यः सघृतं तृप्तिकारणात्

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ vināpi dātavyaṃ taddine madhunā saha | pāyasaṃ brāhmaṇāgryebhyaḥ saghṛtaṃ tṛptikāraṇāt

Translation

Auch ohne ein formelles śrāddha zu vollziehen, soll man an jenem Tag dennoch eine Gabe darbringen, zusammen mit Honig. Man gebe den vorzüglichen Brāhmaṇas Pāyasa (rituelles Milchreisgericht) mit Ghee, denn dies wird zur Ursache der Sättigung der Pitṛs.

Word by Word

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition): 'without'

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle): 'also/even'

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (should be given)

• tad: on that
• tad: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (dine इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• dine: day
• dine: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• madhunā: with honey
• madhunā: Sahakari/Instrument (Accompaniment/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition): 'together with'

• pāyasam: rice-pudding
• pāyasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• brāhmaṇāgryebhyaḥ: to the foremost brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇāgryebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa-agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (brāhmaṇānām agryāḥ)

• saghṛtam: with ghee
• saghṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (sa = 'with' + ghṛta) विशेषण (qualifying pāyasam)

• tṛptikāraṇāt: because it causes satisfaction
• tṛptikāraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti-kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tṛpteḥ kāraṇam)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator/teacher in Nāgarakhaṇḍa (addressing a king; context suggests instruction to a ruler)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual feeding scene: brāhmaṇas seated in a row on kuśa mats; servers present bowls of pāyasa glistening with ghee and a small vessel of honey; the donor offers with reverence, mentally dedicating to Pitṛs.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere dāna for the Pitṛs—especially feeding worthy brāhmaṇas—can please the ancestors even if a complete śrāddha cannot be performed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the snippet emphasizes pitṛ-related observance connected to that tīrtha-context rather than naming a single site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give pāyasa (sweet milk-rice) with ghee and honey to eminent brāhmaṇas as a pitṛ-pleasing act.