Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

घरट्टोलूखलोत्थौ च यत्र शब्दौ व्यवस्थितौ । शूर्पस्य वा विशेषेण तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

gharaṭṭolūkhalotthau ca yatra śabdau vyavasthitau | śūrpasya vā viśeṣeṇa tacchrāddhaṃ vyarthatāṃ vrajet

Translation

Là où résonnent les bruits du moulin et du mortier, et surtout le son du vannage au van, là le Śrāddha devient sans fruit.

Word by Word

• घरट्टोलूखलोत्थौ: the two sounds arising from the mill and mortar
• घरट्टोलूखलोत्थौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घरट्ट + उलूखल + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक; उत्थ = √स्था/√स्था? ‘उत्थ’ as ‘arisen’ from √स्था with ud- prefix, adjectival stem)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/समाहारार्थः: ‘घरट्ट-उलूखल-उत्थ’ = ‘(from) the mill and mortar arising’ (sounds)

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

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• शब्दौ: two sounds
• शब्दौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• व्यवस्थितौ: are present/occur
• व्यवस्थितौ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with ‘शब्दौ’)

• शूर्पस्य: of a winnowing basket
• शूर्पस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (also used as neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially): ‘especially’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘श्राद्धम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; (sandhi in tacchrāddham)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• व्यर्थताम्: futility
• व्यर्थताम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक्रियायाः गन्तव्य-भावः

• व्रजेत्: would go/turn into
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha pavilion marked by calm; in the background a mill and mortar are shown but covered/unused; a winnowing basket is set aside; attendants signal householders to pause noisy work while the rite proceeds.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha requires a calm, sanctified atmosphere; disruptive household activity undermines the rite’s intended sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is identified in this verse; it gives procedural guidance applicable at any tīrtha or home setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid performing śrāddha amid grinding/winnowing noises; choose a quiet, controlled space.