Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अतः परं कर्मशेषं किंचिदस्ति पितामह । वारुणेष्टिर्जपश्चैव तत्करिष्यामि सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

ataḥ paraṃ karmaśeṣaṃ kiṃcidasti pitāmaha | vāruṇeṣṭirjapaścaiva tatkariṣyāmi sāṃpratam

Translation

“Sekarang, wahai Pitāmaha (Kakek Agung), adakah sisa kewajiban ritual yang masih tertinggal? Vāruṇī Iṣṭi dan japa yang ditetapkan pun—akan kulaksanakan saat ini juga.”

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुतः/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (therefore/from this)

• परम्: further / next
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverb: further/next)

• कर्मशेषम्: remaining ritual act
• कर्मशेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः शेषः)

• किंचित्: something
• किंचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पितामह: O Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• वारुणेष्टिः: the Varuṇa-offering (vāruṇī iṣṭi)
• वारुणेष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक) + इष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वरुणस्य इष्टिः)

• जपः: chanting / recitation
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis: indeed/just)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• करिष्यामि: I shall do / perform
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (now/at present)

Speaker

Pulastya (addressing Brahmā as Pitāmaha)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (addressed as Pitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priestly figure (Pulastya) stands before Brahmā, requesting instruction on any remaining ritual duties; he names the Vāruṇī Iṣṭi and japa, ready to act immediately—an image of disciplined ritual resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Varuṇa
• Vāruṇī Iṣṭi
• Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is fulfilled by completing even the ‘remaining’ portions of a rite—devotion persists beyond the main ceremony through offerings and japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya ritual narrative; the tīrtha is implied through the avabhṛtha/water-rite setting rather than named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Vāruṇī Iṣṭi (Varuṇa-related oblation) and japa (mantra repetition) as concluding duties.