Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अस्यां नामानि सर्वेषां यथाज्येष्ठं समालिख । ततः श्राद्धं कुरुष्वाशु दयां कृत्वा गरीयसीम्

Transliteration

asyāṃ nāmāni sarveṣāṃ yathājyeṣṭhaṃ samālikha | tataḥ śrāddhaṃ kuruṣvāśu dayāṃ kṛtvā garīyasīm

Translation

Dort schreibe die Namen aller Verstorbenen nach der Reihenfolge des Ältesten zuerst nieder. Dann vollziehe unverzüglich das Śrāddha, in höchstem Erbarmen.

Word by Word

• अस्याम्: in this (one)
• अस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; here as कर्म (objects of writing)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/अनुपूर्व्यर्थ (according to/as)

• ज्येष्ठम्: by seniority; eldest-first
• ज्येष्ठम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverb: 'in order of seniority')

• समालिख: write down; inscribe
• समालिख: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+लिख् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः सम्+आ

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/अनन्तरार्थ (then/thereafter)

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

• कुरुष्व: do; perform (for yourself)
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; (कुरु + स्व → कुरुष्व)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (quickly)

• दयाम्: compassion
• दयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done; having shown
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त, अव्ययभाव, पूर्वक्रिया

• गरीयसीम्: greater; profound
• गरीयसीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दयाम्)

Speaker

Preta (a departed spirit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśira

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The performer opens the saṃpuṭikā and inscribes the names of all departed in seniority order, then hastens to complete śrāddha with great compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (implied)
• Saṃpuṭikā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-dharma is fulfilled through orderly remembrance and compassionate action, not merely formal performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction pertains to the Gayāśira tīrtha context introduced just before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Record the departed names eldest-first in the container, then perform śrāddha promptly with sincere compassion.