Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ततः स्वस्त्युदकं दद्यात्पितृपूर्वं च सव्यतः । न स्त्रीभिर्न च बालेन नान्ये नैव च केनचित्

Transliteration

tataḥ svastyudakaṃ dadyātpitṛpūrvaṃ ca savyataḥ | na strībhirna ca bālena nānye naiva ca kenacit

Translation

Daraufhin soll man das «Svasti-Wasser» (svasti-udaka) zum Heil darreichen, beginnend mit den Pitṛs und von der linken Seite her (savyataḥ). Dieses Ritual darf weder von Frauen noch von einem Kind noch von irgendjemand anderem anstelle des Befugten vollzogen werden.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = thereafter

• svasti-udakam: auspicious water
• svasti-udakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svasti (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्त्यर्थं/स्वस्ति-युक्तम् उदकम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थ: should give

• pitṛ-pūrvam: with the ancestors first
• pitṛ-pūrvam: Kriya (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पितॄन् पूर्वं यस्मिन्/यथा), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adjectival used adverbially)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = and

• savyataḥ: from the left side
• savyataḥ: Adhikarana (Spatial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: savya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘सव्यतः’ (from the left side)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• strībhiḥ: by women
• strībhiḥ: Kartr (Agent-instrumental in passive sense/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Plural)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = and

• bālena: by a child
• bālena: Kartr (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात; sandhi in nānye

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात; sandhi in naiva

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण-निपात) = only/indeed

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = and

• kenacit: by anyone
• kenacit: Kartr (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक ‘किम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite: by anyone)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthivo-ttama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ritual performer at a river/ghāṭa within a tīrtha, holding a small water vessel (kalaśa/kuṇḍikā), offering svastyudaka with controlled gestures; nearby are śrāddha implements and darbha grass; the mood is restrained and formal.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Svasti-udaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power in Purāṇic dharma depends on correct order and qualified performance, not merely intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it does not identify the location in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer svasti-water with the Pitṛs first and in savya orientation, and follow the stated eligibility restriction for the performer.