Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पार्वणोक्तविधानेन त्रिदैवत्यमदैविकम् । प्रेतमुद्दिश्य कर्तव्यमेको द्दिष्टं च पार्थिव

Transliteration

pārvaṇoktavidhānena tridaivatyamadaivikam | pretamuddiśya kartavyameko ddiṣṭaṃ ca pārthiva

Translation

Nach der für das pārvana‑śrāddha gelehrten Vorschrift ist die Darbringung für die drei Gottheiten zu vollziehen, ohne andere, fremde Gottheiten anzurufen. Den Verstorbenen als preta ansprechend, vollziehe den ekoddiṣṭa‑Ritus, o König.

Word by Word

• पार्वणोक्तविधानेन: by the procedure prescribed for the pārvaṇa (śrāddha)
• पार्वणोक्तविधानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-आश्रय ‘विधान’; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by the procedure stated for the pārvaṇa’

• त्रिदैवत्यम्: the three-deity (offering)
• त्रिदैवत्यम्: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + दैवत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘having three deities/for three deities’

• अदैविकम्: non-divine (not meant for gods)
• अदैविकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + दैविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; त्रिदैवत्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘not for gods (i.e., for the preta)’

• प्रेतम्: the departed spirit (preta)
• प्रेतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: addressing/with reference to
• उद्दिश्य: Purpose/Reference (प्रयोजन/विषय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिश्य (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययीभाव (gerund); ‘having intended/with reference to’

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi/Obligation (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्य-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भाव: ‘is to be done’

• एकः: one/single
• एकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अर्थतः ‘one (offering/act)’)

• उद्दिष्टम्: the uddiṣṭa offering/rite
• उद्दिष्टम्: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘the uddiṣṭa (rite/offering)’

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• पार्थिव: O king/earthly ruler
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; vocative ‘pārthiva’ indicates address to a king in the narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting near a tīrtha: a seated performer with darbha grass, three small offering stations/vessels, and a focused altar without additional deity icons; the departed is invoked as preta for ekoddiṣṭa.

Characters & Entities

• pārvana (śrāddha)
• tridaivatya
• preta
• ekoddiṣṭa
• pārthiva (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites for the departed are carefully structured; following the correct framework honors the dead and sustains dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is a rite-definition within the larger tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform ekoddiṣṭa for the preta, using the pārvana-stated framework with the tridaivatya component, avoiding unrelated deity-invocations.