Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

षष्ठ्या विभक्त्या तु तेषामासनं च प्रदापयेत् । ऋजुभिः साक्षतैर्दर्भैः सोदकैर्दक्षिणांगतः

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhyā vibhaktyā tu teṣāmāsanaṃ ca pradāpayet | ṛjubhiḥ sākṣatairdarbhaiḥ sodakairdakṣiṇāṃgataḥ

Translation

Par la formule du sixième cas (génitif), qu’on leur offre leurs sièges. Avec des darbhas bien droits, accompagnés d’akṣata (riz intact) et d’eau, qu’on avance vers le sud.

Word by Word

• षष्ठ्या: by the sixth case (genitive)
• षष्ठ्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'षष्ठी' इति विभक्तिनाम

• विभक्त्या: by (a) case-ending
• विभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन

• आसनम्: a seat
• आसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

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

• प्रदापयेत्: should cause to be given / should offer
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• ऋजुभिः: straight
• ऋजुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋजु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (दर्भैः इत्यस्य)

• साक्षतैः: with unbroken grains (akṣata)
• साक्षतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (दर्भैः इत्यस्य)

• दर्भैः: with darbha grass
• दर्भैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सोदकैः: together with water / wet
• सोदकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'उदकयुक्त' इति विशेषण (दर्भैः इत्यस्य)

• दक्षिणाङ्गतः: from the right side
• दक्षिणाङ्गतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-अर्थे अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) 'दक्षिणाङ्गतः' = दक्षिणाङ्गात् (from the right side)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual detail: the priest holds straight darbha with akṣata grains, sprinkles water, and verbally offers ‘āsana’ using genitive phrasing; the layout subtly shifts toward the southern side of the ritual space.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• darbha
• akṣata
• udaka (water)
• ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites join inner devotion with precise speech and action; even grammatical form is treated as part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual is framed within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this verse itself highlights the śrāddha method rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer seats to the Pitṛs using a genitive (ṣaṣṭhī) invocation; use straight darbha, akṣata, and water, oriented toward the south.