Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादिका यज्ञाः कृताश्च बहुदक्षिणाः । निष्फला एव तस्य स्युर्भस्मनि न्यस्तहव्यवत्

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādikā yajñāḥ kṛtāśca bahudakṣiṇāḥ | niṣphalā eva tasya syurbhasmani nyastahavyavat

Translation

Même l’Agniṣṭoma et les yajñas semblables, bien qu’accomplis avec d’abondantes dakṣiṇās, deviennent sans fruit pour lui, tels des oblations déposées sur la cendre.

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादिकाः: Agniṣṭoma etc.
• अग्निष्टोमादिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निष्टोम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘आदि’समास (‘beginning with Agniṣṭoma’)

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृताः: performed
• कृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Past passive participle; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक) — Conjunction

• बहुदक्षिणाः: with many fees/gifts
• बहुदक्षिणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; कर्मधारय (‘बह्वीः दक्षिणाः यस्य/येषाम्’)

• निष्फलाः: fruitless
• निष्फलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; यज्ञाः विशेषण

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — Emphatic particle

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Pronoun; Genitive, Singular

• स्युः: would be/should be
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Plural

• भस्मनि: in ashes
• भस्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• न्यस्तहव्यवत्: like offerings placed in ashes
• न्यस्तहव्यवत्: Upamana (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यस्त (कृदन्त, √न्यस्/नि+अस्) + हव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास, अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘like (offerings) placed in ashes’; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त उपमानवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand yajña altar with priests and heaps of gifts; yet the fire is dead—only ash remains—while oblations fall uselessly, symbolizing fruitlessness due to neglected śrāddha.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Yajña
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit is undermined when core dharmic obligations—especially toward the Pitṛs—are neglected.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Setukhaṇḍa), presented as a key setting for effective śrāddha and pitṛ satisfaction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied priority of Mahālaya/Śrāddha alongside (or before) grand yajñas.