Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वाध्रीणसस्य मांसेन तृप्तिर्द्वादशवार्षिकी । त्रिःपिबंत्विंद्रियक्षीणं श्वेतं वृद्धमजापतिम्

Transliteration

vādhrīṇasasya māṃsena tṛptirdvādaśavārṣikī | triḥpibaṃtviṃdriyakṣīṇaṃ śvetaṃ vṛddhamajāpatim

Translation

By the meat of the vādhrīṇasa the Pitṛs attain satisfaction for twelve years. (The received reading further says:) “Let them drink thrice—(one that is) sense-weakened, white, aged, and ‘ajā-pati’,” an obscure phrase preserved as transmitted.

Word by Word

• वाध्रीणसस्य: of the vādhrīṇasa (a kind of animal)
• वाध्रीणसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाध्रीणस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मांसेन: with meat
• मांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तृप्तिः: satiation, satisfaction
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• द्वादशवार्षिकी: lasting twelve years
• द्वादशवार्षिकी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश-वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तृप्तिः)

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of frequency)

• पिबन्तु: let them drink
• पिबन्तु: Vidhi (Injunctive/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इन्द्रियक्षीणम्: whose senses are weakened
• इन्द्रियक्षीणम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रिय-क्षीण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अजापतिम्)

• श्वेतम्: white
• श्वेतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अजापतिम्)

• वृद्धम्: old
• वृद्धम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अजापतिम्)

• अजापतिम्: the lord of goats (he-goat)
• अजापतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of Pitṛs receiving offerings and being ‘satisfied’ for a long span; a calendar wheel or twelve-year cycle motif appears behind the ritual scene, indicating duration-based fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Vādhrīṇasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text emphasizes graded ‘tṛpti’ (satisfaction) for the Pitṛs through specific offerings, portraying Śrāddha as a tangible dharmic repayment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya’s Śrāddha-kalpa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering vādhrīṇasa meat is said to yield twelve-year Pitṛ satisfaction; the second line is textually unclear in the provided reading.