Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ये चापमृत्युना केचिन्मृत्युं प्राप्ताः स्ववंशजाः । असंस्कृतप्रमीतानां त्यागिनां कुलयोषिताम्

Transliteration

ye cāpamṛtyunā kecinmṛtyuṃ prāptāḥ svavaṃśajāḥ | asaṃskṛtapramītānāṃ tyāgināṃ kulayoṣitām

Translation

Et ceux de sa propre lignée qui ont rencontré une mort prématurée—ceux qui sont morts sans les rites requis, ceux qui furent abandonnés, ainsi que les femmes de la famille ainsi éprouvées—sont eux aussi compris parmi ceux qui doivent recevoir le bienfait.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

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

• apamṛtyunā: by untimely death/accidental death
• apamṛtyunā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apamṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

• prāptāḥ: having met/attained
• prāptāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP) ‘प्राप्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाच्य-विशेषण (ये/कचित्)

• sva-vaṃśa-jāḥ: born in one’s own lineage (kinsmen)
• sva-vaṃśa-jāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य वंशे जाताः)

• a-saṃskṛta-pramītānām: of those who died without rites/sacraments
• a-saṃskṛta-pramītānām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (नञ्) + saṃskṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + pramīta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (असंस्कृताः) + कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषसमासः (प्रमीताः)

• tyāginām: of those who abandoned/neglected
• tyāginām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tyāgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• kula-yoṣitām: of the women of the family
• kula-yoṣitām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुलस्य योषितः)

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lineage tree motif behind a śrāddha altar: figures representing untimely dead, uncremated/unsamskṛta departed, abandoned persons, and family women appear as subdued silhouettes; as offerings are made, they receive light and become peaceful.

Characters & Entities

• Svavaṃśa (one’s lineage)
• Apamṛtyu (untimely death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is framed as inclusive family dharma, extending care to relatives who suffered untimely death or lacked proper final rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the śrāddha-focused teaching within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies performing śrāddha with the intent to benefit those who died by apamṛtyu or without saṃskāras (proper funerary rites).