Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अश्राद्धेयो विपांक्तेयः सपुत्रो वा भवाम्यहम् । स्थानं वा संत्यजाम्येतत्पुत्र मैवं समाचर

Transliteration

aśrāddheyo vipāṃkteyaḥ saputro vā bhavāmyaham | sthānaṃ vā saṃtyajāmyetatputra maivaṃ samācara

Translation

“ഞാൻ പുത്രനോടുകൂടെ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിന് അയോഗ്യനും ബ്രാഹ്മണപങ്ക്തിയിൽ ഇരിക്കാൻ അയോഗ്യനും ആകാം; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഈ സ്ഥലം തന്നെ വിട്ടുപോകാം. മകനേ, ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യരുത്।”

Word by Word

• अश्राद्धेयः: unfit for śrāddha offerings
• अश्राद्धेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-श्राद्धेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; निषेध-उपसर्ग 'अ' युक्त विशेषणम्

• विपांक्तेयः: (un)fit to sit in the Brahmins' dining row
• विपांक्तेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप (प्रातिपदिक) + पाङ्क्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (विपानां पाङ्क्तेयः = fit to sit in the line of Brahmins / belonging to Brahmin row); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• स-पुत्रः: together with (my) son
• स-पुत्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह/अव्यय-उपपद) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सहपुत्रः = with a son); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• भवामि: I become / I will be
• भवामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• स्थानम्: place; abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम्

• संत्यजामि: I abandon
• संत्यजामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; 'स्थानम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (this)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (prohibitive particle used with imperative)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (manner adverb: 'thus/so')

• समाचर: perform/do
• समाचर: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Viśvāvasu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The father warns of becoming unfit for śrāddha and for sitting among brāhmaṇas, even with his son; he threatens to abandon the place, imploring the son to desist.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāvasu
• Son (Parāvasu)
• Brāhmaṇa pāṅkti (dining line)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is portrayed as affecting both personal purity and communal/ritual standing; family attachment intensifies the conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse references śrāddha-eligibility and pāṅkti participation as social-ritual markers impacted by conduct.