Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तदह्नि वर्जयेत्कोपं स्वाध्यायं कर्म कुत्सितम् । तैलाभ्यंगं श्रमं यानं वाहनं चाथ दूरतः

Transliteration

tadahni varjayetkopaṃ svādhyāyaṃ karma kutsitam | tailābhyaṃgaṃ śramaṃ yānaṃ vāhanaṃ cātha dūrataḥ

Translation

En ce jour-là, qu’il évite la colère, le (simple) svādhyāya —étude/récitation— et les actes blâmables; qu’il tienne aussi à distance le massage à l’huile, l’effort, le voyage et le fait de monter en véhicule.

Word by Word

• तद्: on that
• तद्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Locative singular)

• अह्नि: day
• अह्नि: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Locative singular)

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid
• वर्जयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should avoid)

• कोपम्: anger
• कोपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• स्वाध्यायम्: Vedic study/recitation
• स्वाध्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• कर्म: act/deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• कुत्सितम्: blameworthy
• कुत्सितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुत्सित (प्रातिपदिक; √कुत्स् ‘to despise’ से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘कर्म’

• तैलाभ्यंगम्: oil massage/anointing
• तैलाभ्यंगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल-अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; तैल + अभ्यङ्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तैलेन अभ्यङ्गः)

• श्रमम्: exertion
• श्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• यानम्: travel/going
• यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• वाहनम्: vehicle
• वाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अथ: and then/also
• अथ: Anukrama (Sequencing/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थ (then/also)

• दूरतः: from a distance/far away
• दूरतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक-प्राय (adverb: ‘from afar/at a distance’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained household day: the yajamāna refuses a vehicle, avoids labor, sits calmly; attendants set aside oil and travel gear; the atmosphere is quiet and disciplined.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites require a protected inner and outer purity—anger and worldly agitation are to be restrained so the offering remains sattvic and focused.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse provides general śrāddha-day niyamas within a tīrthamāhātmya; it does not name a specific site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid anger, censured acts, oil massage, exertion, travel, and vehicle riding on the śrāddha day; maintain restraint and calm.