Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततः सपिंडीकरणं वत्सरा दूर्ध्वतः स्थितम् । वृद्धिर्वाऽगामिनी चेत्स्यात्तदार्वागपि कारयेत्

Transliteration

tataḥ sapiṃḍīkaraṇaṃ vatsarā dūrdhvataḥ sthitam | vṛddhirvā'gāminī cetsyāttadārvāgapi kārayet

Translation

Danach ist das sapiṇḍīkaraṇa (Ritus der Eingliederung des Verstorbenen in die Ahnen‑piṇḍa‑Linie) nach Ablauf eines Jahres zu vollziehen. Wenn jedoch im Geschlecht ein weiterer Todesfall bevorsteht, darf man es auch früher ausführen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रम/अनन्तर्यवाचक)

• सपिण्डीकरणम्: the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa rite
• सपिण्डीकरणम्: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘making (one) with the piṇḍa’ (rite-name)

• वत्सरात्: after a year
• वत्सरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; (पाठभेदे ‘वत्सरा’ इति दृश्यते, अर्थतः ‘after a year’)

• ऊर्ध्वतः: thereafter/above
• ऊर्ध्वतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) → ऊर्ध्वतः (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्यय (दिशा/कालवाचक): ‘above/afterwards’

• स्थितम्: is fixed/placed
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सपिण्डीकरणम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वृद्धिः: increase/extension
• वृद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Option (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक निपात)

• आगामिनी: forthcoming/ensuing
• आगामिनी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगामिन् (कृदन्त-णिनि)
• Form: णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भविष्यत्सूचक); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वृद्धिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्तार्थक अव्यय)

• स्यात्: should be/is to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• अर्वाक्: earlier/beforehand
• अर्वाक्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्वाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (दिशा/कालवाचक): ‘earlier/before’

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Emphasis/Addition (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-भाव)

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done/should perform
• कारयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच्) → कारयति
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family performs sapiṇḍīkaraṇa: three ancestral piṇḍas and the newly departed’s piṇḍa are ritually merged; the priest indicates a calendar/astrological note showing ‘one year’ rule and an exception due to impending bereavement.

Characters & Entities

• sapiṇḍīkaraṇa
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tradition orders rites in time to protect both family dharma and the departed one’s ancestral transition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a timing instruction within the tīrthamāhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is generally done after one year, but may be advanced if special family circumstances require earlier performance.