Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

श्राद्धं वा यदि वा दानं तर्पणं वा त्वदुद्भवम् । तस्मादहंकृतिं मुक्त्वा मामाराधय केवलम्

Transliteration

śrāddhaṃ vā yadi vā dānaṃ tarpaṇaṃ vā tvadudbhavam | tasmādahaṃkṛtiṃ muktvā māmārādhaya kevalam

Translation

ശ്രാദ്ധമോ ദാനമോ തർപ്പണമോ—നിന്മൂലം ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നതെല്ലാം—അതിനാൽ അഹങ്കാരം വിട്ട് എന്നെയേ മാത്രം ആരാധിക്ക.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional: “if”)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• तर्पणम्: libation, offering (tarpana)
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• त्वदुद्भवम्: arising from you; born of you
• त्वदुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्वद्=तव “of you” + उद्भव “arising”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; अपादानार्थे पञ्चमी (ablatival: “therefore/from that”)

• अहंकृतिम्: egoism, sense of ‘I’
• अहंकृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• मुक्त्वा: having abandoned
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); “having abandoned/released”

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (1st person pronoun, Accusative, Singular)

• आराधय: worship, propitiate
• आराधय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular)

• केवलम्: only, solely
• केवलम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्यय (adverbial use: “only/solely”)

Speaker

Śiva (explicit by first-person injunction; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa devotee stands with folded hands before a radiant Śiva-liṅga; behind him are symbols of śrāddha (piṇḍa), dāna (gift-vessel), and tarpaṇa (water-ladle). A faint aura of ‘I’-sense dissolves like smoke as the devotee offers everything inwardly to Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• śrāddha
• dāna
• tarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual and charity must be grounded in humility; ego undermines merit, while devotion to Śiva perfects it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-glorification chapter, but it emphasizes the deity-centered principle rather than naming a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha/dāna/tarpaṇa without ego and with exclusive worshipful orientation to Śiva.