Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यजमानेन च तथा न कार्यं भोजनं परम् । कुर्वंति ये नराः सर्वे ते यांति नरकं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

yajamānena ca tathā na kāryaṃ bhojanaṃ param | kurvaṃti ye narāḥ sarve te yāṃti narakaṃ dhruvam

Translation

യജമാനൻ (ശ്രാദ്ധകർതാവ്) അതിന് ശേഷം മറ്റൊരു ഭോജനം ചെയ്യരുത്. അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യുന്നവർ എല്ലാവരും നിശ്ചയമായി നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यजमानेन: by the sacrificer (patron)
• यजमानेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ-करणभाव (agent in passive/obligation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (likewise/also)

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

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• भोजनम्: eating, meal
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कार्यम्’ इत्यस्य विषय/कर्म (the act of eating/meal)

• परम्: afterwards/other (than prescribed)
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (other/afterwards)

• कुर्वन्ति: do
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अन्वय (those)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (destination)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचनम्; निश्चयार्थ (certainly)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (Śrāddha-kalpa instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpati / Pṛthivīpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna seated on kuśa grass after completing Śrāddha, refusing further food, with pitṛs subtly envisioned receiving offerings; a contrasting shadowy vignette hints at naraka for rule-breakers.

Characters & Entities

• Yajamāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is a vow-like act; the performer must keep restraint so the rite remains spiritually intact.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is taught within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting of Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The yajamāna should not eat an additional meal after performing the Śrāddha observance.