Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अनिष्टमपि राजेन्द्र तस्माच्छ्राद्धं समा चरेत् । विप्रपादोदकं यत्तु भूमौ पतति पार्थिव

Transliteration

aniṣṭamapi rājendra tasmācchrāddhaṃ samā caret | viprapādodakaṃ yattu bhūmau patati pārthiva

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ! അനിഷ്ട സാഹചര്യത്തിലുപോലും ശ്രാദ്ധം വിധിപൂർവ്വം ആചരിക്കണം. ഹേ പാർത്ഥിവാ! ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ പാദപ്രക്ഷാളനജലം ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണാൽ അത് പുണ്യപ്രദമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अनिष्टम्: undesirable thing/inauspiciousness
• अनिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपवाद (particle: 'even/also')

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः राजन् + इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'king among kings')

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should duly perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विप्रपादोदकम्: water from a brāhmaṇa’s feet
• विप्रपादोदकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + पाद + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः विप्रस्य पादस्य उदकम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधानार्थक (particle)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पतति: falls
• पतति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra/pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa’s feet are washed; the water drips onto the ground, depicted as luminous drops sanctifying the earth; the performer stands with humility, offering a seat and water.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Viprapādodaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not abandon pitṛ-dharma due to discomfort or adversity; śrāddha carries sanctity and should be upheld steadily.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya’s śrāddha instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It urges regular performance of śrāddha and introduces the sacred role of viprapādodaka (water from washing a brāhmaṇa’s feet) within the rite.