Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यजमानेन च तथा न कार्यं भोजनं परम् । कुर्वंति ये नराः सर्वे ते यांति नरकं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

yajamānena ca tathā na kāryaṃ bhojanaṃ param | kurvaṃti ye narāḥ sarve te yāṃti narakaṃ dhruvam

Translation

De même, le yajamāna (l’officiant du Śrāddha) ne doit pas prendre un autre repas ensuite. Tous ceux qui agissent ainsi vont assurément en enfer.

Word by Word

• यजमानेन: by the sacrificer (patron)
• यजमानेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणभाव (agent in passive/obligation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (likewise/also)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• भोजनम्: eating, meal
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कार्यम्’ इत्यस्य विषय/कर्म (the act of eating/meal)

• परम्: afterwards/other (than prescribed)
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (other/afterwards)

• कुर्वन्ति: do
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अन्वय (those)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (destination)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचनम्; निश्चयार्थ (certainly)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (Śrāddha-kalpa instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpati / Pṛthivīpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna seated on kuśa grass after completing Śrāddha, refusing further food, with pitṛs subtly envisioned receiving offerings; a contrasting shadowy vignette hints at naraka for rule-breakers.

Characters & Entities

• Yajamāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is a vow-like act; the performer must keep restraint so the rite remains spiritually intact.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is taught within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting of Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The yajamāna should not eat an additional meal after performing the Śrāddha observance.