Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । सांप्रतं वद नः सूत श्राद्धकल्पस्य यो विधिः । विस्तरेण महाभाग यथा तच्चाक्षयं भवेत्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | sāṃprataṃ vada naḥ sūta śrāddhakalpasya yo vidhiḥ | vistareṇa mahābhāga yathā taccākṣayaṃ bhavet

Translation

Les sages dirent : À présent, ô Sūta, dis-nous la procédure du rite de śrāddha. Expose-la en détail, ô bienheureux, afin que son mérite et son fruit demeurent impérissables.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थ्यर्थे (to us)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धकल्पस्य: of the śrāddha procedure
• श्राद्धकल्पस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: श्राद्धस्य कल्पः

• यः: which
• यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• विधिः: rule, method
• विधिः: Karma (Content of telling/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (instrumental used adverbially)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: महान् भागः यस्य सः

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उद्देश्यवाचक (so that/as)

• तत्: that (rite/result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भवेत्त्यस्य कर्ता

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

• अक्षयम्: imperishable, inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तत्)

• भवेत्: may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages) addressing Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest-āśrama setting: a circle of ṛṣis respectfully addressing Sūta, requesting detailed śrāddha procedure for imperishable merit; palm-leaf manuscripts, kuśa grass, and a calm sacrificial ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be learned carefully and practiced precisely—especially śrāddha—so that the resulting merit becomes enduring.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This opening verse shifts from the previous Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative to a general dharma topic (śrāddha), without naming a new tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for the detailed vidhi of śrāddha-kalpa (ancestral rite procedure) aimed at akṣaya (imperishable) merit.