Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

शंखतोयं समादाय सपुष्पफलचंदनैः । नैवेद्यं परमान्नं च स्वशक्त्या निर्वपेद्द्विजाः

Transliteration

śaṃkhatoyaṃ samādāya sapuṣpaphalacaṃdanaiḥ | naivedyaṃ paramānnaṃ ca svaśaktyā nirvapeddvijāḥ

Translation

Ô deux-fois-nés, prenant l’eau d’une conque, avec fleurs, fruits et santal, qu’on offre le naivedya—surtout le paramānna, riz sucré—selon ses moyens.

Word by Word

• शङ्ख-तोयम्: water in a conch
• शङ्ख-तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शङ्खस्य तोयम्)

• समादाय: having taken
• समादाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• स-पुष्प-फल-चन्दनैः: with flowers, fruits, and sandalwood
• स-पुष्प-फल-चन्दनैः: Karana (Instrument/Accompaniment करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः (सह- अर्थे)

• नैवेद्यम्: food offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम-अन्नम्: excellent food (paramānna)
• परम-अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमम् अन्नम्)

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

• स्व-शक्त्या: according to one’s ability
• स्व-शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य शक्तिः)

• निर्वपेत्: should offer
• निर्वपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + वप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्विजाः: O brāhmaṇas / twice-born
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pūjā tray: conch filled with sanctified water, flowers, fruits, sandal paste, and a bowl of paramānna offered before Viṣṇu; priests/devotees in clean attire.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic ideal is sincere worship within one’s means, not extravagance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse teaches pūjā protocol used in tīrtha contexts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use conch-water and offer flowers, fruits, sandalwood, and naivedya such as paramānna, proportionate to one’s ability.