Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यस्मिन्नो मार्जनं हर्म्ये क्रियते नोपलेपनम् । न मांगल्यं च सत्कारः प्रेता भुंजति तत्र हि

Transliteration

yasminno mārjanaṃ harmye kriyate nopalepanam | na māṃgalyaṃ ca satkāraḥ pretā bhuṃjati tatra hi

Translation

ഏത് ഗൃഹത്തിൽ തൂത്തുവാരൽ (മാർജന) നടക്കുമ്പോഴും ലേപനം/ലിപനം (പൂശൽ) നടക്കാതെയോ, മംഗളാചാരവും അതിഥി-സത്കാരവും ഇല്ലാതെയോ ഇരിക്കുന്നുവോ—അവിടെ തീർച്ചയായും പ്രേതങ്ങൾ ഭുജിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यस्मिन्: in which (place/house)
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धार्थे (relative locative)

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्; एनक्लिटिक-रूपम्

• मार्जनम्: cleaning, sweeping
• मार्जनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जन (प्रातिपदिक; √मृज् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• हर्म्ये: in the house/mansion
• हर्म्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• उपलेपनम्: smearing/plastering (with cow-dung etc.)
• उपलेपनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपलेपन (प्रातिपदिक; √लिप् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• माङ्गल्यम्: auspicious rite/auspiciousness
• माङ्गल्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माङ्गल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• सत्कारः: honouring, proper reception
• सत्कारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• प्रेताः: the departed spirits (pretas)
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्

• भुञ्जति: eat/consume
• भुञ्जति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic/causal particle)

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household courtyard: swept floor but unsmeared/uncleansed patches; no auspicious lamp; a guest stands unhonored at the threshold while shadowy pretas linger near leftover food/offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness, auspicious conduct, and honoring others together protect the sanctity of home and food.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain proper household purification and uphold maṅgala practices and hospitality (satkāra).