Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छ्राद्धं नरो भक्त्या शाकैरपि यथाविधि । कुरुते कुर्वतः श्राद्धं कुलं क्वचिन्न सीदति

Transliteration

tasmācchrāddhaṃ naro bhaktyā śākairapi yathāvidhi | kurute kurvataḥ śrāddhaṃ kulaṃ kvacinna sīdati

Translation

C’est pourquoi l’homme doit accomplir le śrāddha avec bhakti, fût-ce avec de simples légumes, selon la règle; car pour celui qui accomplit le śrāddha, la lignée ne sombre jamais dans la ruine.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

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

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• शाकैः: with vegetables/greens
• शाकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (even/also)

• यथा-विधि: according to rule, duly
• यथा-विधि: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कुर्वतः: of (one) performing
• कुर्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/active present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

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

• कुलम्: family, lineage
• कुलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: ever, at any time
• क्वचित्: Desha-kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/देशवाचक adverb = at any time/anywhere)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation)

• सीदति: sinks, declines, perishes
• सीदति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice; dharma instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers a simple śrāddha meal of vegetables to brāhmaṇas/ritual fire, with ancestral presence implied; the family line stands behind, symbolically protected and uplifted.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Kula

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and correctness matter more than luxury; śrāddha sustains family welfare and dharmic continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the sanctified setting where śrāddha is praised as a sustaining dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha yathāvidhi, even using simple śāka (vegetable offerings) when means are limited.