Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कालशाकं सकटुकं मुखाऽधिजनकं महत् । कस्माद्यच्छसि चास्माकं भक्त्या परमया युतः । न श्राद्धे प्रतिषेधश्च प्रकर्तव्यः कथंचन

Transliteration

kālaśākaṃ sakaṭukaṃ mukhā'dhijanakaṃ mahat | kasmādyacchasi cāsmākaṃ bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ | na śrāddhe pratiṣedhaśca prakartavyaḥ kathaṃcana

Translation

Pourquoi nous donnes-tu du kālaśāka, âcre et fortement irritant pour la bouche, alors même que tu es pourvu de la dévotion suprême ? Dans le śrāddha, aucune inconvenance ne doit être introduite, d’aucune manière.

Word by Word

• कालशाकम्: black/dark leafy vegetable (kāla-śāka)
• कालशाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• सकटुकम्: with pungency; spicy
• सकटुकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + कटुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कालशाकम्

• मुखाधिजनकम्: producing mouth-discomfort/irritation
• मुखाधिजनकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख + अधि + जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कालशाकम्

• महत्: great; excessive
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कालशाकम्

• कस्मात्: from what reason? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/neuter pronominal), पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन (singular); हेतौ (reason)

• यच्छसि: you give/offer
• यच्छसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम्/यच्छ् (धातु √यम् ‘to give/offer’ in desiderative/causative-like present stem यच्छ-)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अस्माकम्: of us; to us
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular); साधन/हेतु (means/cause)

• परमया: supreme; utmost
• परमया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to भक्त्या

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); कर्तृविशेषण (predicate adjective)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• श्राद्धे: in/at the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रतिषेधः: prohibition
• प्रतिषेधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिषेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• प्रकर्तव्यः: to be done; should be made
• प्रकर्तव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कर्तव्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); विधेय (predicative) agreeing with प्रतिषेधः

• कथंचन: in any way; at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas addressing the king

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa elder, compassionate yet firm, points to a dish of dark leafy greens with sharp spices; he warns the king that śrāddha admits no prohibited innovation; the king’s face shows remorse and attentiveness.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion must be guided by discernment; śrāddha requires careful avoidance of unsuitable offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the ritual-dharma layer within a tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It advises that in śrāddha one should not introduce improper/unsuitable items—here, pungent mouth-irritating food.