Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कथय नः सर्वं परं कौतूहलं हि नः । निःस्वादितं यथा दद्यादीदृक्छ्राद्धे विगर्हितम्

Transliteration

tasmātkathaya naḥ sarvaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ | niḥsvāditaṃ yathā dadyādīdṛkchrāddhe vigarhitam

Translation

Dis-nous donc tout—car notre curiosité est grande—comment on pourrait offrir, dans un śrāddha, une nourriture si fade et blâmée.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (pronominal), पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन (singular); हेतौ (therefore/from that)

• कथय: tell; explain
• कथय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु √कथ्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (4th/6th case) एकवचन-बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); here चतुर्थी (dative) sense

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• परम्: great; highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कौतूहलम्/सर्वम् (sense: ‘supreme/great’)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity; wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Hetu-bodhaka (Reason-giver/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक

• नः: of us
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case) enclitic; बहुवचनार्थ (of us)

• निःस्वादितम्: tasted/licked; sampled
• निःस्वादितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + स्वादित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त past participle from √स्वद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); कर्म (object) of दद्याद्

• यथा: how; as
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान (as/how)

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु √दा)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• ईदृक्: such; of this kind
• ईदृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to (implicit) दान/वस्तु

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

• विगर्हितम्: censured; blameworthy
• विगर्हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगर्हित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √गर्ह्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विधेय/विशेषण (condemned)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas, earnest and slightly stern, ask the king to explain how censured, tasteless food could be offered in śrāddha; their hands gesture in inquiry while ritual plates remain before them.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• King

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is clarified through questioning; ritual correctness should be understood, not performed blindly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it supports the broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative by foregrounding śrāddha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It challenges the acceptability of offering censured/insipid items in śrāddha, implying the need for proper prescribed offerings.