Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

एकोद्दिष्टं प्रकर्तव्यं यस्मात्तत्र दिने नरैः । सपिंडीकरणादूर्ध्वं तत्ते वक्ष्याभि कारणम्

Transliteration

ekoddiṣṭaṃ prakartavyaṃ yasmāttatra dine naraiḥ | sapiṃḍīkaraṇādūrdhvaṃ tatte vakṣyābhi kāraṇam

Translation

Darum sollen die Menschen an jenem Tag das ekoddiṣṭa‑śrāddha vollziehen. Was nach der sapiṇḍīkaraṇa zu tun ist, werde ich dir samt dem Grund darlegen.

Word by Word

• ekoddiṣṭam: the ekoddiṣṭa (single-offering śrāddha)
• ekoddiṣṭam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + uddiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from ud-diś धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ekam uddiṣṭam) = 'single-dedicated (śrāddha)'

• prakartavyam: must be performed
• prakartavyam: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive, तव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• yasmāt: because
• yasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

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

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• sapiṃḍīkaraṇāt: after/from the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa rite
• sapiṃḍīkaraṇāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapiṃḍīkaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ūrdhvam: afterwards
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverb) = 'above/afterwards'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vakṣyāmi: I will tell
• vakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• kāraṇam: the reason/cause
• kāraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher addressing a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ritual manual-like tableau: a priest guides a householder in arranging ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha—single piṇḍa focus, specific seating and offerings—while a note of transition to sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is implied by additional vessels kept aside.

Characters & Entities

• ekoddiṣṭa
• sapiṇḍīkaraṇa
• śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For the departed’s proper passage, the correct category of śrāddha (ekoddiṣṭa) must be chosen according to ritual stage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as ritual instruction within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting; it does not itself name a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes performing ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha on the indicated day and signals an explanation regarding practice after sapiṇḍīkaraṇa.