Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

एकोद्दिष्टानि श्राद्धानि करिष्यंत्यखिला जनाः । सांप्रतं मर्त्यलोकेऽत्र मर्यादेयं कृता मया

Transliteration

ekoddiṣṭāni śrāddhāni kariṣyaṃtyakhilā janāḥ | sāṃprataṃ martyaloke'tra maryādeyaṃ kṛtā mayā

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഇപ്പോൾ ഈ മർത്ത്യലോകത്തിൽ സർവ്വജനങ്ങളും ഏകോദ്ദിഷ്ട-ശ്രാദ്ധങ്ങൾ നടത്തും. ഈ മർയ്യാദയും നിയമവും ഞാൻ സ്ഥാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ekoddiṣṭāni: single-intention (ekoddiṣṭa)
• ekoddiṣṭāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + uddiṣṭa (कृदन्त; √diś/√diśa धातु, उपसर्ग ud-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (क्त) ‘उद्दिष्ट’ विशेषणरूपेण

• śrāddhāni: śrāddha rites
• śrāddhāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kariṣyanti: will perform
• kariṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• akhilāḥ: all
• akhilāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘जनाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• janāḥ: people
• janāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sāṃpratam: now, at present
• sāṃpratam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• martyaloke: in the mortal world
• martyaloke: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मर्त्यानां लोकः)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• maryādā: rule, boundary, ordinance
• maryādā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maryādā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kṛtā: made, established
• kṛtā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (भूतकर्मणि) कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृता (अस्ति)’ इति भावे कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Pākaśāsana / Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly in the narrative (implicitly king/brāhmaṇas/devas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, as law-giver, proclaims a new ritual boundary: all people shall perform ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha; a solemn assembly of brāhmaṇas and devas listens.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Ekkoddiṣṭa Śrāddha
• Martyaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual dharma is safeguarded by maryādā (ordinance); correct śrāddha form sustains its spiritual efficacy for ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though the verse states a general rule for martyaloka, it arises within the Gayā-māhātmya context, reinforcing Gayā’s śrāddha-centrality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ekoddiṣṭa-śrāddha: śrāddha specifically dedicated to particular departed beings, established as the prevailing norm.