Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कनिष्ठः प्राक्कृताधानः कृतोद्वाहश्च प्राक्तु यः । तथा प्राग्दीक्षितो यश्च स त्याज्यो गृहसंयुतः

Transliteration

kaniṣṭhaḥ prākkṛtādhānaḥ kṛtodvāhaśca prāktu yaḥ | tathā prāgdīkṣito yaśca sa tyājyo gṛhasaṃyutaḥ

Translation

Doit aussi être écarté le cadet qui a accompli avant l’aîné le rite du feu (ādhāna), et celui qui s’est marié avant l’aîné ; de même, celui qui a reçu la dīkṣā avant l’aîné : un tel maître de maison doit être évité au śrāddha.

Word by Word

• kaniṣṭhaḥ: the younger (brother)
• kaniṣṭhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaniṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāk-kṛta-ādhānaḥ: one who has performed ādhāna earlier (before the elder)
• prāk-kṛta-ādhānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāk (अव्यय) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + ādhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-पूर्वपद ‘प्राक्’ (पूर्वं) + तत्पुरुष-समासः; अर्थः ‘यस्य आधानं (गर्भाधान/अग्न्याधान) पूर्वं कृतम्’

• kṛta-udvāhaḥ: one whose marriage has been performed
• kṛta-udvāhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + udvāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृतः उद्वाहः यस्य)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• prāk: earlier
• prāk: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: earlier/before)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ

• prāk-dīkṣitaḥ: one initiated earlier
• prāk-dīkṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāk (अव्यय) + dīkṣita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (पूर्वं दीक्षितः)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tyājyaḥ: to be rejected/avoided
• tyājyaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyājya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √tyaj)
• Form: कृदन्त (ण्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय, gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be abandoned)

• gṛha-saṃyutaḥ: connected with a household (householder)
• gṛha-saṃyutaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गृहेण/गृहसंबन्धेन संयुतः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family household scene: elder brother seated with dignity; younger brother shown having performed rites earlier; the priest advises exclusion from the śrāddha row to preserve ritual propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Ādhāna
• Dīkṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text links ritual fitness with maintaining traditional order (seniority) within the family system.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Exclusion in śrāddha of householders who violated prescribed precedence in ādhāna, marriage, or dīkṣā relative to elders.