Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

चक्रे तावन्नभोवाणी वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह । भीष्मभीष्म महाबाहो नार्हस्त्वं श्राद्धजं विधिम्

Transliteration

cakre tāvannabhovāṇī vākyametaduvāca ha | bhīṣmabhīṣma mahābāho nārhastvaṃ śrāddhajaṃ vidhim

Translation

ಆಗಲೇ ಆಕಾಶವಾಣಿಯುಂಟಾಗಿ ಈ ಮಾತನ್ನು ಹೇಳಿತು - "ಎಲೈ ಮಹಾಬಾಹು ಭೀಷ್ಮನೇ! ಭೀಷ್ಮನೇ! ನೀನು ಶ್ರಾದ್ಧ ವಿಧಿಯನ್ನು ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲು ಅರ್ಹನಲ್ಲ."

Word by Word

• cakre: made, uttered
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do/make)

• tāvat: just then
• tāvat: Temporal (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावत् (then/just then/so long)

• nabho-vāṇī: the voice from the sky
• nabho-vāṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nabhas (प्रातिपदिक) + vāṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (nabhasaḥ vāṇī = voice from the sky)

• vākyam: a statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (qualifying vākyam)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: वच् (to speak)

• ha: indeed/it is said
• ha: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक निपात (emphatic particle)

• bhīṣma: O Bhīṣma
• bhīṣma: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; नाम

• bhīṣma: O Bhīṣma
• bhīṣma: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• mahā-bāho: O mighty-armed one
• mahā-bāho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (one whose arms are great)

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• arhasi: you are fit/entitled
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; धातु: अर्ह् (to be worthy/fit)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śrāddha-jam: pertaining to śrāddha
• śrāddha-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying vidhim); समासः—तत्पुरुष (śrāddhāt jāta = arising from/pertaining to śrāddha)

• vidhim: rite, procedure
• vidhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Nabhovāṇī (a celestial voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśiras

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the moment of śrāddha, the sky itself speaks: a luminous voice/inscription in the air addresses Bhīṣma by name; the performer pauses mid-rite, hands holding water vessel, expression startled yet reverent.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nabhovāṇī
• śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals are governed by dharmic eligibility; purity and qualification matter, not merely the act itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative context is Gayāśiras/Camatkārapura region, where the issue of śrāddha eligibility is raised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restriction: Bhīṣma is told he should not perform the śrāddha-vidhi in his present condition.