Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

नीवाराश्चापि श्यामाकाः प्रवक्ष्यामि यथाक्रमम् । तृप्तिं मांसेन वाञ्छंति मांसं मांसेन वर्जितम्

Transliteration

nīvārāścāpi śyāmākāḥ pravakṣyāmi yathākramam | tṛptiṃ māṃsena vāñchaṃti māṃsaṃ māṃsena varjitam

Translation

Auch die Körner nīvāra und śyāmāka — ich werde sie der Reihe nach darlegen. Sie begehren Sättigung durch „māṃsa“; doch „māṃsa“ ist das, was frei ist von „māṃsa“ (von Schädigung).

Word by Word

• नीवाराः: nīvāra rice (wild rice)
• नीवाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: 'also')

• श्यामाकाः: śyāmāka millet
• श्यामाकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्यामाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• यथाक्रमम्: in proper order
• यथाक्रमम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb: 'in due order/according to sequence')

• तृप्तिम्: satisfaction
• तृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन

• मांसेन: by meat, with meat
• मांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• वाञ्छन्ति: they desire
• वाञ्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मांसेन: with meat
• मांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया, एकवचन

• वर्जितम्: devoid of, excluded
• वर्जितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with 'मांसम्')

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan) implied by surrounding verses; direct address appears in v.40

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting near a sacred waterbody: a householder offers nīvāra and śyāmāka to brāhmaṇas and performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa; a subtle visual motif contrasts violent ‘māṃsa’ with dharmic ‘māṃsa’ as ‘that which is free from māṃsa’.

Characters & Entities

• Nīvāra
• Śyāmāka
• Pitṛs (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True satisfaction in ancestral rites is aligned with dharma and restraint; the verse hints at a non-harmful reading through its wordplay on māṃsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it continues the śrāddha-material discourse within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It adds nīvāra and śyāmāka to the śrāddha grain set and introduces a dharmic reflection on what constitutes proper ‘satisfaction’ in offerings.