Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अष्टकाश्राद्धकृत्यं च वैदिकं यच्च किंचन । सर्वमेतद्रहस्यं मे ब्रूहि त्वं वै गुरुर्मतः

Transliteration

aṣṭakāśrāddhakṛtyaṃ ca vaidikaṃ yacca kiṃcana | sarvametadrahasyaṃ me brūhi tvaṃ vai gururmataḥ

Translation

Enseigne-moi les principes secrets des rites d’Aṣṭakā-Śrāddha et tout ce qui relève du Veda. Dis-moi tout, car tu es reconnu comme mon guru.

Word by Word

• अष्टका: Aṣṭakā rite (ancestral offering on Aṣṭakā days)
• अष्टका: Visheshya (Object-qualifier/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• श्राद्ध: śrāddha (ancestral rite)
• श्राद्ध: Visheshya (Object-qualifier/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• कृत्यम्: duty/ritual act to be performed
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/and)

• वैदिकम्: Vedic
• वैदिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular; adjective)

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun; neuter, nom/acc, singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/and)

• किंचन: anything at all
• किंचन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite pronoun; neuter, nom/acc, singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc, singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun; neuter, nom/acc, singular)

• रहस्यम्: secret/esoteric matter
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc, singular)

• मे: of me / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive, singular)

• ब्रूहि: tell/speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative, 2nd person, singular, parasmaipada)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative, singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle/indeed)

• गुरुः: teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• मतः: considered/regarded
• मतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally: 'considered'); (masc., nom., sg.)

Speaker

Unnamed Śūdra (petitioner) addressing an unnamed Dvija (Brāhmaṇa/learned man)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble petitioner requests secret Aṣṭakā-Śrāddha principles from a learned dvija-guru; palm-leaf texts, kuśa grass, and a tīrtha backdrop suggest ritual learning at Setu.

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭakā-Śrāddha
• Vaidika karma
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent seeking of dharma and correct ritual knowledge (vidhi) from a qualified teacher is presented as essential for righteous action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha) Māhātmya, though this verse itself focuses on instruction in rites rather than direct site-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aṣṭakā-Śrāddha and other Vedic rites (vaidika karma) are requested to be explained in their proper, ‘secret’ procedural form.