Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रात्रौ यत्क्रियते श्राद्धं दानं वा पर्ववर्जितम् । तत्सर्वं नृपशार्दूल प्रेतानां भोजनं भवेत्

Transliteration

rātrau yatkriyate śrāddhaṃ dānaṃ vā parvavarjitam | tatsarvaṃ nṛpaśārdūla pretānāṃ bhojanaṃ bhavet

Translation

ಹೇ ನೃಪಶಾರ್ದೂಲ, ರಾತ್ರಿ ಮಾಡುವ ಶ್ರಾದ್ಧವೋ ದಾನವೋ, ಅಥವಾ ಪರ್ವವನ್ನು ಪಾಲಿಸದೆ ಮಾಡುವುದೆಲ್ಲ—ಅದು ಪ್ರೇತಗಳ ಭೋಜನವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (rel. pron.; nom./acc. sg.)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (present passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• पर्ववर्जितम्: devoid of (proper) parva day
• पर्ववर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्व + वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.); विशेषण (excluded from festival/holy day)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative; nom./acc. sg.)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.); विशेषण

• नृपशार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• नृपशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (voc. sg.)

• प्रेतानाम्: of ghosts
• प्रेतानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• भोजनम्: food, eating
• भोजनम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• भवेत्: would become, is (to be)
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (nṛpaśārdūla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night scene: a householder performs śrāddha/dāna by lamplight; instead of pitṛs receiving, shadowy pretas gather to consume the offering’s subtle essence, while the intended pitṛ presence is absent.

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Śrāddha
• Parvan

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values right timing and context; rites done carelessly lose their intended merit and go to inauspicious recipients.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse teaches ritual discipline within the Mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid performing śrāddha/charity at improper times (night) or without observing prescribed parvan/ritual occasions.