Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र शस्त्रहतस्य च । तस्मिन्दिने प्रकर्तव्यं श्राद्धं श्रद्धासमन्वितैः

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra śastrahatasya ca | tasmindine prakartavyaṃ śrāddhaṃ śraddhāsamanvitaiḥ

Translation

Therefore, with every possible effort, the śrāddha should be performed there—also for one slain by weapons—on that very day, by people endowed with faith.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोग (with all effort)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• शस्त्रहतस्य: of one slain by a weapon
• शस्त्रहतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हत (कृदन्त, √हन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; शस्त्रेण हतः (instrumental-tatpurusha sense)

• च: and/also
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• तस्मिन्: on that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिने: day
• दिने: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रकर्तव्यम्: should be performed
• प्रकर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-भाव (gerundive: ‘to be done/should be done’)

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

• श्रद्धासमन्वितैः: by those endowed with faith
• श्रद्धासमन्वितैः: Kartr-visheshana (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त, √अन्वि + सम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; श्रद्धया समन्वितैः (endowed with faith)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmahrada

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the bank of Rāmahrada, a householder with family and a priest prepares śrāddha: darbha grass, piṇḍas, water-vessel, and offerings; the mood is urgent yet reverent, emphasizing ‘that very day’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled śrāddha performed at the proper tīrtha and time is presented as a powerful dhārmic act, extending care even to difficult deaths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is Rāmahrada, whose māhātmya is being concluded in Adhyāya 69.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha ‘there’ (at the tīrtha) on that specific day, with full effort and sincere faith, including for those killed by weapons.