Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एकैकं वा त्रयो वाऽपि स्युरेकैकं वा पृथक्पृथक । पैतृकान्स्थाप्प चक्रेण पितॄणां परितुष्टये

Transliteration

ekaikaṃ vā trayo vā'pi syurekaikaṃ vā pṛthakpṛthaka | paitṛkānsthāppa cakreṇa pitṝṇāṃ parituṣṭaye

Translation

Entah ditata satu per satu, atau tiga sekaligus, atau terpisah satu per satu—demi kepuasan sempurna para Pitṛ, leluhur dari garis ayah hendaknya disusun dalam urutan melingkar.

Word by Word

• एकैकम्: one by one
• एकैकम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Distribution)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; क्रियाविशेषण (one by one)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta (Subject, with स्युः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (numeral used substantively)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• स्युः: may be/should be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकैकम्: one by one
• एकैकम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; क्रियाविशेषण (one by one)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (separately)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• पैतृकान्: ancestral (offerings/rites)
• पैतृकान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (elliptically ‘पितॄन्/पिण्डान्’ etc. contextually; here ‘paitṛkān’ = ancestral ones)

• स्थाप्य: having placed
• स्थाप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having placed’

• चक्रेण: by a circular arrangement / in a circle
• चक्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; करणवाचक (by means of a circle/arrangement)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• परितुष्टये: for the satisfaction
• परितुष्टये: Sampradāna/Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति (4th/Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for satisfaction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Top-down mandala composition: a circular ring of darbha seats/offerings around a central water vessel; the officiant completes the circle while chanting; pitṛs are suggested as subtle ancestral silhouettes receiving satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• paitṛka (paternal line)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order is not mere formality; correct arrangement is taught as a means to genuinely please and uplift the ancestral line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this verse focuses on procedure rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place paternal-line Pitṛs in a circular sequence; the grouping can be one-by-one or three together depending on feasibility.