Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गन्धधूपादिकं सर्वं पुनरेव प्रदापयेत् । पितृपूर्वं समुच्चार्य वर्जयेच्च चतुर्थकम्

Transliteration

gandhadhūpādikaṃ sarvaṃ punareva pradāpayet | pitṛpūrvaṃ samuccārya varjayecca caturthakam

Translation

Toutes les offrandes, telles que les parfums et l’encens, doivent être présentées de nouveau. En récitant selon l’ordre qui commence par les Pitṛ (Pères ancestraux), on doit omettre la quatrième part.

Word by Word

• गन्धधूपादिकम्: perfume, incense, etc.
• गन्धधूपादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha + dhūpa + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ समास (गन्धश्च धूपश्च आदयश्च), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• प्रदापयेत्: should offer/give
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); णिच् (causative) भाव: ‘cause to give/offer’

• पितृपूर्वम्: starting with the fathers
• पितृपूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pitṛ + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां पूर्वम्), अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial)

• समुच्चार्य: having recited/uttered
• समुच्चार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ud-√car (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) from समुच्चारयति (causative of √car/√car?; conventional verb ‘to utter’), अव्ययभाव

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid
• वर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• चतुर्थकम्: the fourth (rite/portion)
• चतुर्थकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturthaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/royal listener (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Incense smoke rises as the performer re-offers gandha and dhūpa before the three pitr̥ stations; a deliberate empty space indicates the omitted fourth; orderly recitation posture.

Characters & Entities

• pitṛ
• gandha
• dhūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Correct order and restraint in offerings are integral to dharma; precision itself is a form of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in the verse; it belongs to the broader Tīrthamāhātmya ritual guidance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Re-offer gandha, dhūpa, etc., reciting with pitṛs first, and omit the “fourth” portion/recipient.