Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

यावत्संवत्सरं तेन एकेनापि तु सत्तमाः । तस्मिन्नपि च यः श्राद्धं युष्माकं न प्रदास्यति

Transliteration

yāvatsaṃvatsaraṃ tena ekenāpi tu sattamāḥ | tasminnapi ca yaḥ śrāddhaṃ yuṣmākaṃ na pradāsyati

Translation

ഹേ സത്തമന്മാരേ, ആ ഒരേയൊരു കർമം കൊണ്ടും ഒരു വർഷം മുഴുവൻ (ഫലം ലഭിക്കും); എങ്കിലും അപ്പോഴും നിങ്ങൾക്കായി ശ്രാദ്ധം അർപ്പിക്കാത്തവൻ…

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (as long as)

• संवत्सरम्: a year
• संवत्सरम्: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Measure of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• तेन: by that / with that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

• एकेन: by one (alone)
• एकेन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्भव; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘तेन’)

• अपि: even / also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-बोधक (also/even)

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• सत्तमाः: O best (people)
• सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; उत्तम-तुल्य (superlative); संबोधनार्थे प्रयुक्तम् (O best ones)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• युष्माकम्: of you (all)
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• प्रदास्यति: will give / will offer
• प्रदास्यति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- + दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing, leading into consequences)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pitṛs addressed as ‘sattamāḥ’ (excellent ones)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene: on one side, a devotee performing śrāddha; on the other, a negligent person turning away; pitṛs appear satisfied above the first and faintly distressed above the second; a year-wheel motif indicates the long span affected.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when dharma is made easy and effective, deliberate neglect of ancestral duty is still censured in Purāṇic ethics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it introduces a moral warning about omission.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It reiterates the efficacy of even a single rite for a year, and transitions to the case of someone who still does not offer śrāddha.