Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अन्यस्थानोद्भवैर्विप्रैर्यच्छ्राद्धं क्रियते ध्रुवम् । संपूर्णं व्यर्थतां याति नागराणां क्रियापरैः

Transliteration

anyasthānodbhavairviprairyacchrāddhaṃ kriyate dhruvam | saṃpūrṇaṃ vyarthatāṃ yāti nāgarāṇāṃ kriyāparaiḥ

Translation

Wahrlich, jedes Śrāddha, das von Brāhmaṇas aus anderen Gegenden vollzogen wird—selbst wenn es vollständig abgeschlossen ist—wird für die Nāgaras, die auf rechte Ausführung bedacht sind, gewiss fruchtlos.

Word by Word

• अन्यस्थानोद्भवैः: by non-local-born
• अन्यस्थानोद्भवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य-स्थान-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (विप्रैः)

• विप्रैः: by Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: certainly)

• संपूर्णम्: even if complete/fully done
• संपूर्णम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यत्/श्राद्धम्)

• व्यर्थताम्: fruitlessness
• व्यर्थताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• याति: goes to; becomes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नागराणाम्: of the Nāgaras
• नागराणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• क्रियापरैः: by those devoted to (proper) rites
• क्रियापरैः: Karana (Agent group/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया-पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—(क्रियायां परः) सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (नागराणाम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting in a sacred town: a householder offers piṇḍa and water to seated brāhmaṇas; a subtle contrast shows ‘outsider’ brāhmaṇas at the edge, while local Nāgara recipients sit at the center, indicating kṣetra-adhikāra.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Nāgara
• śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Completeness of ritual is not enough; proper qualification and tradition of the officiant are presented as essential for spiritual result.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not praise a specific pilgrimage place; it reinforces a Nāgara-specific ritual rule within the māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It warns that śrāddha performed by brāhmaṇas from other places becomes ineffective for Nāgaras, even if executed fully.