Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कुरु रघुश्रेष्ठ श्राद्धमत्र यथोदितम् । नीवारैः शाक मूलैश्च तथाऽरण्योद्भवैस्तिलैः

Transliteration

tasmātkuru raghuśreṣṭha śrāddhamatra yathoditam | nīvāraiḥ śāka mūlaiśca tathā'raṇyodbhavaistilaiḥ

Translation

Ainsi donc, ô meilleur des Raghus, accomplis ici le śrāddha comme il est enseigné : avec du riz sauvage, des herbes et des racines, ainsi qu’avec du sésame cueilli en forêt.

Word by Word

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

• कुरु: do/perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• रघुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Raghus
• रघुश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रघोः श्रेष्ठः

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• यथोदितम्: as prescribed
• यथोदितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उदित (प्रातिपदिक; वद्/उद्-इ धातोः क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (adverbial compound): यथा उदितम् = as stated; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (used adverbially)

• नीवारैः: with wild rice grains
• नीवारैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शाक: with vegetables/greens
• शाक: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular) (समाहार/द्रव्यवाचक)

• मूलैः: with roots
• मूलैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

• अरण्योद्भवैः: with forest-grown
• अरण्योद्भवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरण्य + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; पञ्चमी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: अरण्यात् उद्भवः = forest-born

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual tīrtha-instructor voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpikā-Gayā pitṛ-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghuśreṣṭha (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas instruct the Raghu-king to perform śrāddha right there, using wild rice, greens, roots, and forest sesame—an austere yet potent rite.

Characters & Entities

• Raghuśreṣṭha (Rāma)
• śrāddha
• nīvāra
• tila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even with simple, locally available foods, śrāddha becomes efficacious when done at a tīrtha and in accordance with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local kūpikā-tīrtha where Gayā is said to abide; its sanctity authorizes śrāddha ‘here’ with full merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha as instructed, using nīvāra (wild rice), śāka and mūla (greens/roots), and forest-sourced tila (sesame).