Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्य सुतोऽभीष्टस्तस्योद्देशेन कृत्स्नशः । चकार प्रेतकार्याणि स्मृत्युक्तानि च भक्तितः

Transliteration

tatastasya suto'bhīṣṭastasyoddeśena kṛtsnaśaḥ | cakāra pretakāryāṇi smṛtyuktāni ca bhaktitaḥ

Translation

ನಂತರ ಅವನ ಪ್ರಿಯ ಪುತ್ರನು ತಂದೆಯ ಉದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಸ್ಮೃತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ ಸಮಸ್ತ ಪ್ರೇತಕಾರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ನೆರವೇರಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (genitive singular)

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• abhīṣṭaḥ: beloved / desired
• abhīṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying sutaḥ)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• uddeśena: by (his) instruction / direction
• uddeśena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-अर्थे (by/according to instruction)

• kṛtsnaśaḥ: completely
• kṛtsnaśaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsnaśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: समग्रतया (entirely)

• cakāra: did / performed
• cakāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• preta-kāryāṇi: rites for the departed
• preta-kāryāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pretasya kāryāṇi)

• smṛti-uktāni: prescribed in the Smṛti
• smṛti-uktāni: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + ukta (कृदन्त; √vac/वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषणम् (pretakāryāṇi); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (smṛtyā uktāni)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) = conjunction

• bhaktitaḥ: devoutly
• bhaktitaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'from/with devotion'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted son performs full funerary observances—offerings, tarpaṇa, and śrāddha—following Smṛti rules, with solemn focus and controlled grief.

Characters & Entities

• Indrasena
• Smṛti
• Preta-kārya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional performance of Smṛti-guided rites is upheld as essential dharma toward the departed, especially after an inauspicious mode of death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within the chapter’s tīrtha-mahātmya frame; subsequent verses typically connect these rites to the praised serpent-associated tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing preta-kāryas (funerary rites/śrāddha-related observances) according to Smṛti, dedicated to the deceased, with devotion.