Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तस्याभावेऽपि दातव्यं जलं तिलविमिश्रितम् । सदर्भं सहिरण्यं च हिरण्यशकलान्वितम्

Transliteration

tasyābhāve'pi dātavyaṃ jalaṃ tilavimiśritam | sadarbhaṃ sahiraṇyaṃ ca hiraṇyaśakalānvitam

Translation

Même si cela aussi manque, qu’on donne de l’eau mêlée de sésame, avec de l’herbe darbha et de l’or, pourvue de petits fragments d’or.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that/its
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभावे: in the absence
• अभावे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: even)

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Vidhi (विधि/prescription)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दातव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: कर्तव्यता-वाचक कृदन्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तिलविमिश्रितम्: mixed with sesame
• तिलविमिश्रितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + विमिश्रित (कृदन्त, मिश्र् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तिलैः विमिश्रितम्)

• सदर्भम्: together with darbha grass
• सदर्भम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + स (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) → सदर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुष (दर्भसहितम्)

• सहिरण्यम्: together with gold
• सहिरण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स (सह-अर्थ) → सहिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुष (हिरण्यसहितम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हिरण्यशकलान्वितम्: accompanied by pieces of gold
• हिरण्यशकलान्वितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शकला (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त, अन्वि/अनु-इ धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हिरण्यशकलैः अन्वितम्)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator/teacher in Nāgarakhaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a tīrtha edge prepares a small copper vessel of water mixed with black sesame, places darbha grass beside it, and offers tiny gold flakes as a token gift, hands joined in pitṛ-smaraṇa.

Characters & Entities

• tila (sesame)
• darbha
• hiraṇya (gold)
• Pitṛs (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple offerings, when made according to dharma (sesame water with darbha), are meaningful for pitṛ rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-setting is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse focuses on the offering method rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give tilodaka (water mixed with sesame) with darbha and some gold (even small pieces) as a pitṛ-oriented offering.