Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

खड्गमांसेन मधुना कालशाकेन भूरिशः । विधिहीनं द्विजैर्हीनं तिलदर्भैर्विवर्जितम्

Transliteration

khaḍgamāṃsena madhunā kālaśākena bhūriśaḥ | vidhihīnaṃ dvijairhīnaṃ tiladarbhairvivarjitam

Translation

With khaḍga-meat, with honey, and with plentiful kāla-śāka greens—(that śrāddha) was bereft of proper procedure, bereft of brāhmaṇas, and lacking sesame and darbha grass.

Word by Word

• खड्गमांसेन: with swordfish-meat (khaḍga-meat)
• खड्गमांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तत्पुरुष (खड्गस्य मांसम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• कालशाकेन: with kāla-vegetable/greens
• कालशाकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तत्पुरुष (कालस्य शाकम् / कालेन सम्बन्धि शाकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• भूरिशः: abundantly, in plenty
• भूरिशः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूरिशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विधिहीनम्: devoid of proper procedure
• विधिहीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तत्पुरुष (विधिना हीनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śrāddham understood)

• द्विजैः: by/with brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• हीनम्: lacking
• हीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śrāddham understood)

• तिलदर्भैः: with sesame and darbha grass
• तिलदर्भैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: द्वन्द्व (तिलाश्च दर्भाश्च); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• विवर्जितम्: deprived of, without
• विवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; √वर्ज् (to exclude) with उपसर्ग वि-

Speaker

An unnamed narrator describing a prior improper śrāddha; specific name not given in this excerpt

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A defective śrāddha is described: offerings of khaḍga-meat, honey, and greens, but lacking proper procedure, lacking brāhmaṇas, and missing sesame and darbha—an explicit cautionary tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (Dvijas)
• Darbha
• Tila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual intention matters, but śrāddha is ideally performed with proper vidhi—brāhmaṇas, sesame, and darbha are presented as key elements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as ritual instruction within a tīrtha-mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha should not be vidhi-hīna; it should include dvijas (qualified brāhmaṇas), tila (sesame), and darbha grass.