Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

श्लेष्मातको नक्तमाल्यः कपित्थः शाल्मली तथा । निंबो बिभीतकश्चैव श्राद्धकर्मणि गर्हिताः

Transliteration

śleṣmātako naktamālyaḥ kapitthaḥ śālmalī tathā | niṃbo bibhītakaścaiva śrāddhakarmaṇi garhitāḥ

Translation

Śleṣmātaka, naktamālya, kapittha, śālmalī, nimba et bibhītaka : leur emploi est blâmé dans les rites de Śrāddha.

Word by Word

• श्लेष्मातकः: śleṣmātaka tree
• श्लेष्मातकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लेष्मातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नक्तमाल्यः: naktamālya tree
• नक्तमाल्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्तमाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कपित्थः: kapittha (wood-apple) tree
• कपित्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपित्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शाल्मली: śālmalī (silk-cotton) tree
• शाल्मली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्मली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अन्वयार्थक (conjunctive adverb)

• निम्बः: nimba (neem) tree
• निम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बिभीतकः: bibhītaka (bahera) tree
• बिभीतकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिभीतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• श्राद्धकर्मणि: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śrāddhasya karma)

• गर्हिताः: censured; disapproved
• गर्हिताः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गर्ह् (धातु), क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha pavilion near the western sea at Prabhāsa: a brāhmaṇa officiant points out forbidden trees around the ritual ground while the yajamāna arranges kuśa, piṇḍas, and vessels; the censured trees are shown at the periphery as a didactic border.

Characters & Entities

• Śleṣmātaka
• Naktamālya
• Kapittha
• Śālmalī
• Nimba
• Bibhītaka
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes restraint: some materials are traditionally avoided in ancestral rites to preserve ritual propriety and intended sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where śrāddha rules are enumerated as part of its sacred instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid using śleṣmātaka, naktamālya, kapittha, śālmalī, nimba, and bibhītaka in śrāddha-karman; they are described as garhita (disapproved).