Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

श्यावदन्तस्तु यद्भुंक्ते यद्भुंक्ते वृषलीपतिः । विनग्नो वाथ यद्भुंक्ते तत्ते श्राद्धं भविष्यति

Transliteration

śyāvadantastu yadbhuṃkte yadbhuṃkte vṛṣalīpatiḥ | vinagno vātha yadbhuṃkte tatte śrāddhaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

シュラーダ（śrāddha）において、歯の黒ずんだ者が食し、あるいはシュードラ女（vṛṣalī）の夫が食し、あるいは不適切に裸身のまま食する者がいるなら、その過失は汝のシュラーダに付着する。

Word by Word

• श्याव-दन्तः: a dark-toothed person
• श्याव-दन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्याव (प्रातिपदिक) + दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Bahuvrīhi ‘one whose teeth are dark’; Nominative singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात — particle ‘but/indeed’

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — relative pronoun ‘whatever/that which’ (object of भुङ्क्ते)

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present ‘eats/enjoys’

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘whatever’ (object)

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present

• वृषली-पतिः: husband of a low-caste woman
• वृषली-पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘husband of a śūdra-woman’

• वि-नग्नः: naked
• वि-नग्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘naked’ (with prefix वि-)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय — disjunctive ‘or’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गबोधक-अव्यय — ‘then/and further’

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘whatever’ (object)

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — demonstrative ‘that’; here correlating with यत् (that [act/result])

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive singular ‘of you/your’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha (funeral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular (śrāddha rite)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Simple future ‘will be’

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting: performer seated with kuśa grass, piṇḍas and water-pot; invited diners in a row; one diner shown with visible signs of impropriety (unclean mouth/teeth, improper attire), while the Pitṛs remain unseen, indicating the subtle consequence of doṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Śyāvadanta
• Vṛṣalīpati
• Vinagna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is a sacred, disciplined offering; decorum and recipient-eligibility are treated as integral to its efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse continues general śrāddha-vidhi guidance within the tīrtha-māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain propriety in śrāddha by ensuring suitable recipients and proper dress/conduct during the rite.