Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कथय नः सर्वं परं कौतूहलं हि नः । निःस्वादितं यथा दद्यादीदृक्छ्राद्धे विगर्हितम्

Transliteration

tasmātkathaya naḥ sarvaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ | niḥsvāditaṃ yathā dadyādīdṛkchrāddhe vigarhitam

Translation

Karena itu ceritakanlah kepada kami semuanya—rasa ingin tahu kami besar—bagaimana mungkin seseorang memberikan hidangan yang hambar dan tercela seperti ini dalam upacara śrāddha.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (pronominal), पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन (singular); हेतौ (therefore/from that)

• कथय: tell; explain
• कथय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु √कथ्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (4th/6th case) एकवचन-बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); here चतुर्थी (dative) sense

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• परम्: great; highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to कौतूहलम्/सर्वम् (sense: ‘supreme/great’)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity; wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Hetu-bodhaka (Reason-giver/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक

• नः: of us
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case) enclitic; बहुवचनार्थ (of us)

• निःस्वादितम्: tasted/licked; sampled
• निःस्वादितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + स्वादित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त past participle from √स्वद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); कर्म (object) of दद्याद्

• यथा: how; as
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान (as/how)

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु √दा)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• ईदृक्: such; of this kind
• ईदृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण to (implicit) दान/वस्तु

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• विगर्हितम्: censured; blameworthy
• विगर्हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगर्हित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √गर्ह्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विधेय/विशेषण (condemned)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas, earnest and slightly stern, ask the king to explain how censured, tasteless food could be offered in śrāddha; their hands gesture in inquiry while ritual plates remain before them.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• King

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is clarified through questioning; ritual correctness should be understood, not performed blindly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it supports the broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative by foregrounding śrāddha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It challenges the acceptability of offering censured/insipid items in śrāddha, implying the need for proper prescribed offerings.