Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यच्छ्राद्धं दक्षिणाहीनं क्रियाहीनं च वा नृप । तथा रजस्वलादृष्टं तदस्माकं प्रजायते

Transliteration

yacchrāddhaṃ dakṣiṇāhīnaṃ kriyāhīnaṃ ca vā nṛpa | tathā rajasvalādṛṣṭaṃ tadasmākaṃ prajāyate

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ! ദക്ഷിണയില്ലാത്തതോ ക്രിയാവിധിയിൽ ഹീനമായതോ ആയ ശ്രാദ്ധവും, കൂടാതെ രജസ്വലയുടെ ദർശനത്താൽ മലിനമായ ശ്രാദ്ധവും—അത് ഞങ്ങളുടെ (പ്രേതങ്ങളുടെ) ഭാഗമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (1st/2nd), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-विशेषणम्

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दक्षिणाहीनम्: lacking the gift/fee (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाहीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नञ्-रहितः न, परन्तु ‘दक्षिणया हीनम्’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (instrumental determinative)

• क्रियाहीनम्: devoid of proper rites
• क्रियाहीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘क्रियया हीनम्’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः

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

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

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: likewise/also)

• रजस्वलादृष्टम्: seen/touched by a menstruating woman
• रजस्वलादृष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस्वला (प्रातिपदिक) + दृष्ट (√दृश् क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः: रजस्वलायाः दृष्टम् (seen/handled by a menstruating woman)

• तत्: that (such rite)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अनुवादक-सर्वनाम

• अस्माकम्: for us/of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural)

• प्रजायते: arises/comes about
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting with pinda and kuśa; the officiant looks concerned as dakṣiṇā is absent and procedure incomplete; shadowy pretas gather at the edge, receiving what was meant for pitṛs.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Dakṣiṇā
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites require completeness and purity; negligence in gifts and procedure undermines the intended merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śrāddha with proper dakṣiṇā and correct rites, observing traditional purity/eligibility constraints.