Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तदभावे वराहस्य दशमासप्रतुष्टिदम् । मांसं प्रोक्तं महाराज पितॄणां नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

tadabhāve varāhasya daśamāsapratuṣṭidam | māṃsaṃ proktaṃ mahārāja pitṝṇāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

À défaut de cela, ô grand roi, la viande de sanglier est dite donner satisfaction pendant dix mois aux Pitṛ ; il n’y a là aucun doute.

Word by Word

• तदभावे: in the absence of that
• तदभावे: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'absence of that'); पुंलिङ्ग (अभाव), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वराहस्य: of the boar
• वराहस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दशमासप्रतुष्टिदम्: granting satisfaction for ten months
• दशमासप्रतुष्टिदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र + तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिक 'giving')
• Form: समास (determinative): 'giving satisfaction for ten months'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying मांसम्)

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास ('great king'); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing reply)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens to a sage enumerating śrāddha offerings; in the foreground a śrāddha altar with darbha, piṇḍas, water-pot, and a platter indicating sanctioned meats; pitṛs are envisioned receiving tarpaṇa in a subtle realm.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha (boar)
• mahārāja
• pitṛ (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture provides graded alternatives so that duty toward the Pitṛs can be fulfilled even under constraints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is not site-specific; it is part of a tīrtha-related chapter that also teaches śrāddha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If the prior sanctioned item is unavailable, boar-meat is prescribed, yielding ten months of Pitṛ satisfaction.