Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

श्राद्धीयविप्रपात्रं च स्वयमेव प्रचालयेत्

Transliteration

śrāddhīyaviprapātraṃ ca svayameva pracālayet

Translation

Und das Gefäß bzw. die Anordnung, die im Śrāddha (śrāddha) für den empfangenden Brāhmaṇa bestimmt ist, soll man einzig selbst handhaben und ordnen.

Word by Word

• śrāddhīya-vipra-pātram: the vessel/recipient (brāhmaṇa) fit for śrāddha
• śrāddhīya-vipra-pātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddhīya (प्रातिपदिक) + vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (श्राद्धीयः विप्रः तस्य पात्रम् / श्राद्धे योग्य-विप्रस्य पात्रम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

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

• svayam: oneself
• svayam: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वयम्-शब्दः) = oneself

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

• pracālayet: should conduct/arrange
• pracālayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√cal (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √चल् (to move/guide) उपसर्ग: प्र; अर्थ: ‘प्रचालयेत्’ (should conduct/arrange/lead)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthivo-ttama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The kartā carefully places and steadies the śrāddha vessel/plate meant for the brāhmaṇa recipient, with darbha and water pot nearby; the focus is on hands and ritual objects, not spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal responsibility and careful conduct safeguard the sanctity of śrāddha offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this single verse; it gives a procedural instruction within a tīrtha-themed chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The śrāddha brāhmaṇa’s pātra/arrangement should be managed personally by the performer, not delegated.